Face Down
by Habit
Summary: Sakura is violently attacked. Her attacker is put on trial, but who will be there to comfort her? *WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND DESCRIPTIONS OF RAPE* It's actually a good story, not too descriptive in the rape scene .
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I wrote this a while back when i was in one of my depressed states...hope you enjoy it. BTW, I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 1: And the Thunder Rolls

Thunder was crashing and lightning was flashing as a storm rolled through Konoha. Gaara looked out the window of his best friend's house at the violent blowing of the wind. He sighed and turned around, a frown on his face.

"Naruto, I thought you said that Sakura would be here with food soon. It's been _four hours _since you talked to her. Don't you think you should check on her?" Naruto looked up at his red headed friend. It was unusual for the normally stoic male to say something like that.

"Are you _worried_ about her Gaara?" Naruto asked with a sly grin on his face. Gaara had to stamp down violently on the blush that was threatening to rise to his cheeks. True, he likes Sakura…enough to date her. But she was dating that asshole Uchiha. He barely let her hang out with Naruto and downright forbade her from hanging out with Gaara.

Before he could protest, his stomach rumbled noisily, letting them know he was very hungry. Gaara took that as his out. "I think _that_ answers your question. I'm freaking starving Naruto!" he growled at the blond Naruto scratched his cheek and laughed.

"Yeah…me too. I guess it won't hurt to call her again. Sasuke sure was testy when I called and asked Sakura to hang out with us. Something about she was supposed to hang out with him." Gaara stiffened at this as Naruto walked over to he phone. He knew that Sasuke had a temper and didn't like for Sakura to choose her friends over him.

Gaara's stomach grumbled again and he looked down at it before plopping on the sofa. _'I wonder what she cooked for us this time?'_ he wondered and looked up at the ceiling. It had become a bit of a ritual that whenever they all had time, they would take one night out of their week and hang out. Sakura _always_ cooked for them. Her food was also always amazing, unlike Naruto's sad attempts and his own disastrous tendencies.

Gaara sighed and waited for Naruto to come back in. When the blond came in, there was a slight frown on his face. Gaara noticed and sat up. "What's wrong?" There were many things going through Gaara's head at that moment…had she bailed on them?

"No one answered. Sakura doesn't just _not_ answer her phone. I called Sasuke's house and he said he left a long time ago and she had still been at her house, but he sounded strange…almost like he was hiding something." Naruto shook his head and looked at Gaara. Gaara was about to say something when a light knock startled them. Naruto ran to his door and jerked it open. Gaara looked around Naruto and saw Sakura. She was holding three large bento boxes and Gaara could feel his mouth starting to water.

"You're really late, Sakura-chan. You even made _Gaara _worried." Naruto looked back at his best friend, who glared at him, a slight blush on his face. He noticed that Sakura reddened lightly…too lightly. He cocked his head. When Sakura blushed, she turned really red…there was something going on. Sakura gave them a weak smile and walked in. He noticed she stayed very quiet and seemed to try and make herself look smaller.

Gaara stiffened slightly. Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He took in the smile, the lack of extensive movement, the near exhaustion. He shook his head…Sakura wasn't that kind of girl. She'd cut a man's throat for even _suggesting _having sex before marriage. He sighed and sat down. He watched as she walked into the room and set the boxes down. She took off her coat with a bit of trouble, Gaara noticed. He didn't say anything, just watched her closely.

"I'm sorry I worried you guys. I just have a bit of a sore throat right now. I think I may be coming down with something." She whispered. Gaara's eyes widened…she sounded awful…like she had screamed and cried for hours on end…

Gaara could tell his friend was lying, but he didn't want to press the issue. Something was going on and she was scared to tell them. He would pry it out of her later, after Naruto went to sleep. She always told him what was wrong…even the things wrong in her relationship with Sasuke. Gaara stood and walked over to her.

"It's fine Sakura-chan…I just thought perhaps you had decided to spend time with Sasuke instead." he watched closely and noticed she flinched when he mentioned the black haired man. Everything inside him went still at that one little flinch. He could see her trembling and her head was down. Something definitely wasn't right. "Sakura-chan-" he never got to finish because at that moment her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she went crashing to the floor. Luckily Gaara was able to catch her before she hurt herself.

He pulled her body closer to his and he felt her flinch, her body stiff and tense. He gasped as he noticed large amounts of foundation rubbing off on his black clothing. He pulled away and saw a horrendous sight. Sakura had bruises on her arms, her legs, her neck, her face…everywhere he could see, there was at least one bruise. Her left eye was swollen and black, there was a cut that ran from her lip almost to her chin, and worst of all, there were purple fingerprints around her delicate throat.

"NARUTO!" he yelled as he stared at her limp form. Naruto barreled into the room at the urgency in his friend's voice. Naruto came to a screeching halt as he saw Sakura, beaten and bruised. He looked at Gaara, who look shocked and horrified. The red head looked up at him.

"Wha…who…_why_!?" the red head demanded hoarsely. Naruto approached them slowly, not knowing how Gaara would react. He knew very well that Gaara was extremely attached to Sakura…for many reasons. The biggest reason had been her unquestioning acceptance of him. She had never looked down on him like everyone else had just because he was an orphan. That was why Naruto was so attached to her.

Naruto thought long and hard about what could have happened to their friend. He started listing things out loud, to distraught to hold it in. "Mugged on her way here? No, she has a cell phone. Fall? No, that doesn't explain the face and neck." The only other possibility made him freeze. He and Gaara looked at one another, ice seeping into jade and sapphire.

"Sasuke…" they both said at the same time. Naruto started marching towards the door, his coat in hand. He was almost to it when a moan caught his attention…Sakura was waking up. He heard her pained gasps, her muffled sobs. Naruto clench his fists and ground his teeth. He was about to storm out when a noise froze him.

"N-naru-t-to…" she whispered lightly. Naruto turned to see the young woman he considered his sister lying in the arms of his best friend, beaten nearly to death. Naruto fought back the tears and quietly closed the door. He walked over to her and knelt beside her. Tears leaked from his eyes as he stared at her.

"Hey Kura-chan…you look like shit." He teased, trying to lighten the mood. Gaara watched the two interact. They had both been raised by the same woman…Sakura's mother. Tsunade had been a rare woman…she had loved every child she ever met and never turned her back on one. She opened her home to every child that had ever been in need of one…including him. He stiffened when she attempted to laugh and only ended up coughing violently. Gaara looked up at Naruto, who looked back at him. They nodded in agreement.

Gaara picked her up while Naruto grabbed a thick blanket. They wrapped her in it as gently as they could and Naruto grabbed the keys to his car. Both made their way outside where the rain was pouring down. Gaara used his body to shield her as he ran to the large SUV. He opened the rear passenger door and got in, Sakura in his arms. He could feel her trembling and wondered if she was cold or afraid. He decided to let her know he would, could, never hurt her.

"Sakura-chan…I swear on my life that I'll make him pay. I won't ever let him hurt you again…I promise." he choked out and then kissed her with surprising tenderness on her forehead. He looked up to see Naruto looking at him in the rear view mirror. Gaara blushed lightly and cleared his throat. "Maybe you should call Hinata. She's really close to Sakura. Ino too. Maybe they can shed some light because it's obvious that something has been going on and Sakura hasn't been telling us."

Naruto's eyes widened and he nodded. He started the car, making sure the heat was on so that Sakura wouldn't get cold. Gaara felt Sakura squirm closer to him…whether for body heat or the sense of safety he didn't know. All the same, he sighed and wrapped her up in as tight a hug as he dared with all her bruises.

Gaara could hear Naruto talking low on the phone, letting whoever was on the other end know that they had to take Sakura to the hospital. He heard a light tone and then Naruto was speaking again. When the words Sakura and hospital were both out in the same sentence, Gaara heard Ino's voice loud and clear. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT 'YOU'RE TAKING SAKURA TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM'!? WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE NEED TO GO THERE!? UZUMAKI, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Naruto growled low under his breath, something about bitchy psycho blonds being in love with scum sucking assholes with black hair and blaming everything on the innocent party.

Apparently, Ino heard this. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT INNOCENT!? YOU HAVEN'T BEEN INNOCENT SINCE…EVER! AND I'M NOT PSYCHO NOR AM I IN LOVE WITH SASUKE. I'M _ENGAGED_, REMEMBER!?" Gaara sweat dropped when he remembered the announcement that had been made during his 1:30 Shakespeare class: Ino and Kiba were getting married…finally. They had been dating since freshmen year in high school and were now engaged as juniors in college. Naruto seemed to have just remembered that too, but he still didn't apologize.

"Ino, Sakura was _four hours late_ getting to my house after I called her and asked her to hang out tonight. Sasuke was at her house when I called. He sounded mad that she had already agreed to spend time with me and Gaara. Also, when I called her house, she didn't pick up and when I called his house, he sounded like he was hiding something." Naruto's voice could have made a clean cut through diamond at this point. He was _really _angry.

"S-so you're saying…S-sasuke…that Sasuke…_beat _her?" Even though she wasn't yelling anymore, Gaara could hear her. She sounded dumbfounded…and scared. Gaara was about to make a comment when Ino cut him off. "I'll be there in 3 minutes. If you're not there when I get there Uzumaki, you'll be eating through a straw for the next seven months." Gaara's eyes widened, as did Naruto's, at such a violent declaration from the normally bubbly blond Sure, occasionally her and Sakura got into shouting matches and did the whole name calling thing, but they always ended up laughing about it five minutes later. Neither had ever heard her be so…cold. Naruto blinked as he realized the line had gone dead. He jumped as he realized he had only two minutes left to get to the hospital before Ino.

Gaara grunted as Naruto accelerated suddenly. Gaara had a bad feeling they were going to get pulled over. Hoping that his gut was wrong, her looked down when Sakura began moaning again. She sounded so scared…Gaara took her hand gently and began placing soft kisses on her knuckles. This calmed her and he continued to kiss her softly. First her knuckles, then her wrist, and then her forearm. He kissed every bruise he could reach on her arm without waking her.

However, he could not stop the blaring of the siren that was suddenly hot on their bumper. Naruto jumped and looked at the flashing red and blues behind his SUV. He pulled over and waited for the officer to come up to the window. When he did, Naruto rolled his window down and started yelling frantically. "PLEASE OFFICER, YOU HAVE TO LET US GO. MY SISTER'S BEEN BEATEN REALLY BADLY AND WE HAVE TO GET HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! YOU CAN HOP IN WITH US AND GIVE ME A TICKET AFTER I GET HER THERE, BUT PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO HURRY!" Gaara could see the dazed look on the man's face. The officer craned his neck and looked back at Gaara, who was holding Sakura protectively. The officer nodded and ran over to the front passenger door. He got in and closed the door. He immediately turned around to assess the situation.

"So, what happened?" he asked, his kind chocolate eyes looking straight at Sakura. Gaara kicked Naruto's seat and growled.

"Ino's going to assassinate you if you're not at the hospital when she gets there. You know she'll do it too, especially when she sees Sakura's condition." The officer saw the blond boy pale and put the car into drive. The brown haired officer sighed and radioed for someone to pick up his cruiser because he was in route to the emergency room with a young woman and her brothers.

Gaara cleared his throat as he waited for the officer to finish. He then corrected the officer. "I'm sorry officer, but I'm not her bother. I'm her best friend. Naruto's her brother." The officer shrugged and repeated his question. Gaara sighed and looked down at his friend…his first crush.

"Naruto called Sakura at the house that they grew up in. Naruto is Sakura's foster brother. Sakura lives alone in her mother's house about twenty minutes from Naruto. Naruto asked Sakura if she wanted to come over and have our 'GSN' night. Basically it's just where the three of us hang out at Naruto's house and eat the food Sakura brings us and watch movies and play games all night." Gaara took a breath and looked down at Sakura. His heart clenched as he noticed her other eye beginning to swell. He shook his head and looked back at the officer.

"We were waiting for her to get there with the food when the storm started. I started to get worried because she was four hours late. She's never late for anything, no matter how trivial it may seem. At first I thought maybe her and her boyfriend had fought again. He doesn't like for her to be around me because he thinks I'm trying to steal her from him." Gaara blushed as the officer smiled at him. He continued with his explanation. "After a little while more went by, I started thinking she had decided to humor Sasuke and stay with him tonight, not at his house, just hang out with him. She's not the kind of girl to stay the night with a guy, no matter who he was. She won't even stay the night with me and Naruto, and Naruto's her brother." The officer nodded, writing everything down.

Gaara sighed as he felt her shift in his arms. He soothed her again by kissing her hand and blushed bright red when the officer cleared his throat. Gaara decided to continue without looking up. "However, Naruto called her and she didn't pick up. She always picks up if she's at home and can get to her phone. He called Sasuke when Sakura didn't answer to see if she had gone over there with him. Sasuke said he'd left her hours ago, but when Naruto came out he was frowning. I asked him what was wrong and he said that Sasuke had sounded like he was hiding something. I was going to make a comment about him, but there was a knock at the door. Naruto answered it and it was Sakura." The officer nodded for him to continue after Gaara paused for a bit to let him catch up.

"Naruto teased her about me and she blushed, only she wasn't bright red like she normally would be. That's what made me wary. I started watching her and noticed she was really quiet and would shrink away from Naruto or myself if we got really close to her. She had trouble taking off her coat as well. When she spoke, it sounded like she'd been screaming and crying for hours, like her throat was raw." Gaara could feel the emotion building in his throat, making it hard to talk.

The officer gave him time to recover and he continued relating the event as he'd seen them. "She said she was coming down with a bug or something, but I knew she was lying. I thought she was trying to avoid upsetting Naruto. I knew I could coax her into telling me later, she always tells me what's wrong." Gaara heard the grunt from the blond in the front seat and could just imagine his petulant look. Gaara gave a weak smile, but his eyes remained on Sakura.

"Before I could tell her we'd talk about it later, I had a brain fart and mentioned Sasuke. She flinched and stiffened immediately…that really caught my attention. I was going to ask her if she was alright, but her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she passed out. I caught her and held her and that's when I noticed there were big makeup splotches on my clothes. When I looked at her, I saw bruises everywhere, her eye was swollen and black, her lip had this big cut in it…she looked like she'd gotten into a fight with a professional boxer." Gaara's teeth were clench and he was holding back tears.

Gaara took a deep breath and calmed himself…he'd beat the living crap out of Sasuke later. Right now, Sakura needed his help. "I called Naruto into the room and we began to go through all the possible things that could have happened to her that were plausible. She didn't get mugged, because she has her cell and there's a panic button on it, plus she has mace in her purse. We ruled out fall because there are fingerprint sized bruises on her neck, like someone had been choking her." Gaara's voice became colder as he spoke. He was really getting mad. "It then occurred to us that Sasuke, her boyfriend, had been in the house with her when Naruto called. He'd been angry and was yelling at her…you could hear him over the phone. When they'd hung up, we assumed Sakura would be on her way, just like normal. However, she was four hours late, as I mentioned earlier. Then there was the phone call to Sasuke, who had sounded like he was hiding something. Naruto and I came to the same conclusion…Sasuke beat Sakura up. What we don't know, is why." Gaara could feel Sakura's breathing become shallow and his eyes widened. He looked up at Naruto frantically.

"Naruto, she can't breathe…hurry the hell up!" He panicked and pulled her up into his lap so that she was leaning against his chest. Her breathing eased and Gaara sighed in relief. Seconds later, they were outside the emergency room. Naruto slammed the SUV into park. He ripped his door open and ran to the passenger side, his door gagged wide open. He threw open the rear passenger door and stood aside so Gaara could get out. The officer said he'd take care of the SUV and Naruto nodded, running in with Gaara.

Doctors flooded around them as they saw the two young men bring in the unconscious young woman. She was put on a bed and immediately started gasping for air. Gaara panicked and sat her up, which helped slightly. The doctors were able to stabilize her long enough to rush her back into emergency surgery. Gaara stood at the double doors that had the big red 'EMERGENCY' sign above it. Two male nurses had stopped him from following and it had taken both of them to keep him there.

Gaara glared at them, but went back to the waiting area to sit with Naruto. When he got there, Ino was there and was bawling her eyes out against Kiba's chest. Hinata was there as well and she had a comforting hand on Naruto's back. She rubbed his back as his body was wracked with silent sobs. Gaara stood there and saw the devastation this cruel act had wrought. He shook his head and looked over his shoulder at the doors Sakura had disappeared through. "_Please _be okay…" he begged and sat down beside his best friend. The only person that would have consoled him, was the very woman they were worried about. He sighed and rested his head against the back of his chair, waiting for new…any news.

The news he got, however, was not the news he wanted. The officer that had taken his statement walked up to them, a gentle smile on his face. "Now that the rush is over, I can introduce myself. My name is Officer Umino, but you can call me Iruka." the man held out his hand, but Gaara just stared up at him, his eyes blank and his face twisted in a scowl. Iruka withdrew his hand and nodded. "I can understand why you're not in the greeting mood. I'm sorry about your friend. However, I have news for you both concerning Uchiha Sasuke, the man both of you are convinced beat Haruno-san." Naruto and Gaara sat upright, their attention centered on the officer.

Iruka cleared his throat and nodded. "After I took your statement and parked your car for you, I radioed a unit to check out Haruno-san's house. There were signs of an immense struggle in the kitchen and living room. There was blood on one of the walls and a bloody hand print on the doorknob. The print belonged to Uchiha." Iruka saw the dark look that overcame the two young men he knew and also the dark features of another young man he'd yet to be introduced to. However, he had to continue.

"My partner, Officer Hatake, went to the Uchiha house to find Uchiha Sasuke packing several bags into the trunk of his car. Uchiha was apprehended and taken to our headquarters. When asked why he was packing, he said he was going to visit his brother. When confronted with the evidence, he scoffed and said the blood was his. He said that Sakura attacked him while they had argued and that he had left." He noticed the disbelieving looks on their faces. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"We had the blood tested…it was Haruno-sans, not Uchiha's. We also had a doctor give Uchiha a checkup. Besides a large red mark on the side of his face and a large bruise on his chest, there was no where the blood could have come from. He is currently in our custody. Haruno-san can press charges at any time, if she regains consciousness." Iruka smiled at them, but Gaara scowled.

"_When_…" Gaara said forcefully, startling Iruka. The officer cocked his head and Gaara sighed. "_When _she regains consciousness, she can press charges." Gaara got up and turned his back on the officer. He thought for several seconds and then turned to the officer with cold eyes. "I suggest you keep Sasuke in jail for as long as you can…for his own safety." Iruka gasped as he noticed the two other men nodding in agreement. He saw a young blond woman with tear stains on her face curled up against the brunette he'd yet to meet. A dark haired young lady was leaning against the blond he'd pulled over for speeding. He nodded in understanding and looked back at the red head.

Iruka kind of felt bad for Uchiha Sasuke…he'd made some very powerful enemies tonight. Iruka turned and started walking away. He waved his hand and locked eyes with the blond "Next time, if you're having an emergency and need to get somewhere fast, give me a call. I'll see if I can get you an escort." Iruka tossed his card to the young man and left without another word. Naruto blinked several times and looked at the card. He smiled and gave the man a thumbs up.

It was about that time that Gaara saw a woman walking towards them. She had a set look on her face. Gaara steeled himself for the worse. "You are the friends and family on Haruno Sakura, correct?" she asked lightly, as if she were intruding. Gaara nodded for them and waited. She sighed and motioned them to follow her. Gaara was very nervous at that moment.

They were led into a room with two beds and a sofa. The nurse turned to them with a sad smile. "Haruno-san is in surgery right now. She'll most likely be there most of the night and maybe a little into the next morning. She's in really bad shape. But our doctors are the best. So just have hope. You can sleep here and I'll come and get you if there is any news." Gaara nodded as he looked out the window. He watched Kiba lay Ino on one of the beds and snuggle up behind her. Hinata was awake, barely, and was rubbing Naruto's back while she leaned against it. Gaara walked over to his best friend.

"Get some sleep, Naruto. I'll wake you up as soon as I have news on Sakura." He looked at the blond, who seemed to be debating. Finally giving in to the need for rest, the blond nodded and turned so that Hinata was pressed against his chest. Neither said anything as Naruto laid on his back and pulled Hinata down so that her head was right under his chin. He held her against him like a lifeline…like he was afraid to let her go…like Gaara wanted to hold Sakura.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Waiting Game

Gaara turned his back on his friends, unable to watch them with the ones they loved when the one he loved was battling for her life. He shook his head and sat on the sofa, which happened to be closest to the door. He looked out the window and watched as the storm dwindled down and started dispersing. He stared for what seemed like days, until the sky started turning purple and then pink, as the sun started to rise. He could hear the soft snores of his friends, the slight whimper Ino made in her sleep.

Gaara ran his hand over his face and looked at the ceiling. He then did something he hadn't done in over twelve years…he prayed. He prayed Sakura would recover, would live so that he could live as well. He was sure that if anything happened to her it would kill him. He sighed again, wishing they had some answers. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a soft knock. He rushed to the door and was out of it before the person could knock again. The doctor seemed startled and Gaara held a finger to his lips and pointed into the room. The doctor looked in and saw the two sleeping couples. He nodded and led Gaara a bit down the hallway. It was there he began to speak.

"We've done all we can for her, now it's up to her. I don't know what happened to her, but I've never seen such a small woman have so much damage and live as long as she did. Whatever happened to her, she's lucky to be alive. She had extensive head trauma, there were busted bones in her face, both her collarbones were broken, her sternum was fractured, several of her ribs were broken, her right humerus was broken, her left had several fractures, her left ulna and radius were broken and there were signs of fractures in the right ulna and radius. I don't mean to pry, but was she beaten? Those are sure signs of a struggle. She fought her attacker pretty hard…_if_ that's what happened." The doctor noticed Gaara's smoldering eyes.

"Her boyfriend beat her up. We don't know why…yet." the doctor shivered at the way this young man added that 'yet'. However, he continued with his assessment of the damage.

"Well, her arms and chest aren't the only things damaged. Her pelvis was severely out of line, like she had tried to run and had been slammed against a wall. There are several hairline fractures in both her femurs and a lot of bruising from her knees to her ankles. She has one collapsed lung, her heart is working overtime to keep her alive. We had to remove her appendix, her liver is bruised and several blood vessels in her eyes burst. She shouldn't be alive from all this damage, but somehow, she is hanging on." the doctor was shaking his head and he looked at Gaara.

"The only other damage is the bruising. She'll be sore for a long time, but topical muscle relaxers will help. She'll be bruised for a while, as well. This kind of damage goes away, but she should really seek therapeutic counseling when she's in better shape. I can heal her body, young man, but I can not heal her mind." Gaara nodded and shook the doctors hand.

"Thank you for you help, doctor. Thank you so much…" the doctor clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. Gaara walked back to the room and stood there, staring at the door. He wanted to see Sakura…it was an insane need that he had to see her face, even if it was bruised. Gaara flagged down the nurse that had led them to the private room. "Haruno Sakura is out of surgery now, I just talked to the doctor. Is there any way I can see her, even if it's just through a glass window?" he knew he sounded pathetic, but it was a miracle she was alive. He just wanted to see with his own eyes that she was indeed breathing.

The nurse smiled kindly and nodded. Gaara followed her down a long corridor and into the I.C.U. Gaara cringed at the sight of so many sick people. He hated hospitals…always had, ever since his mother died. Gaara shook his head. This was about Sakura, not about him. Gaara followed the nurse in a sort of daze. He finally reached the room and the nurse stood aside. He stood in the door and gasped. His little cherry blossom was lying on a large bed, machines surrounding her. She looked so small lying there. He took a step towards her and had to catch himself.

"It's alright, you can go to her. Doctor Mali says that contact with her loved ones may speed her recovery. Just let me know when you're ready to go back." Gaara nodded slightly, not even really listening to the nurse anymore. He walked over to Sakura's bed and touched the blanket that covered her. He noticed that she wore an oxygen mask, meaning that despite her collapsed lung, she was breathing on her own. That was a good sign. He also noticed the sluggish beat of her heart. It was working with everything it had to keep her alive. Gaara gently took her hand into his and brought it to his face.

He kissed her knuckles and reminisced about their past. All the times he had teased her about her forehead, all the times she had punched him in the face, or in the shoulder. How he had always looked out for her when it came to boys, especially now that they were in college. He sighed and looked at her. "What I wouldn't give to hear that indignant shriek and feel the stinging sensation of one of your slaps. Even one of your manly punches would be welcomed at this point…" he murmured to her. He pulled a stool close and sat down, his cheek against her hand.

He sat there for close to forty-five minutes before he looked at his watch and sighed. Naruto would be waking up soon. He'd been selfish enough…it was time to tell the others about her condition. Gaara stood, her hand still in his. He bent down so that his mouth was right beside her ear and whispered the one thing he'd longed to tell her since they were sixteen. "I love you…Sakura-chan." He stood up and brushed the hair from her face. He kissed her forehead and gently put her hand back under the covers.

He was nearly out the door when he heard a muffled noise. He turned slightly to see hazy emerald eyes peering at him. He turned on her, surprised to see her awake. He rushed to her side and cupped her face. "Sakura…Sakura-chan?" he said her name gently and she smiled up at him. That goofy, lovesick smile she'd always given Sasuke in their younger days. It made his heart flip over.

"G-gaa…r-raa…" she managed to whisper. Gaara felt a tear falling down his face, but he made no effort to hide it. She was alive, she was awake, and she was going to recover. Gaara kissed her forehead again, nuzzling so that his nose was in her hair. He was about to stand up and go get the nurse when she managed to whisper something that stopped him dead. "L-lo…v-ve…" she swallowed and tried to finish her sentence. "Y-y-yo-ou." She smiled and closed her eyes again, exhaustion overpowering her. Gaara stood there, stunned. She loved him? Gaara felt a smile slowly crawl over his face. She loved him…after all these years of unrequited love, Sakura finally loved him back.

Gaara smiled and walked over to the door. He opened it gently and closed it just as gently. He walked over to the nurse, a smug smile on his face. She looked confused until he spoke. "She told me she loves me…" he smirked at the shocked look on her face. He knew she didn't believe him, but that didn't matter. Her confession was burned into his memory. He didn't even wait for the nurse to lead him back. He took off out of the I.C.U and towards the room where his friends were.

Gaara skidded to a stop right in front of the door and opened it right as Naruto opened his eyes. Gaara was still smiling and Naruto yawned sleepily. "Hey, Gaara…what's with the goofy smile. You look like you just got a blow job from a supermodel." Naruto felt a thump against his chest and he looked down to see Hinata, red faced, lying on his chest. He blushed, remembering how he had practically pulled her on top of him. Naruto shook his head and looked back up at Gaara, who was still smiling.

"She told me she loves me." He said in a smug voice. Naruto arched a brow until he realized who he was talking about. He almost jumped off the bed, except that Hinata was still lying on him.

"YOU MEAN SHE WOKE UP AND YOU DIDN'T COME AND GET ME!?" Naruto demanded and glared at Gaara. Gaara didn't seemed bothered though. He was on cloud 9.

"The doctor came and told me her prognosis. I wanted to make sure she was alive, see her with my own eyes. I knew you'd yell if I didn't check on her. I didn't think she'd hear me, so I told her I loved her. She opened her eyes and looked at me, told me she loved me, and went right back to sleep. I was so shocked that there wasn't anything I could do but stare." Gaara's smile had toned down to a smirk. However, it disappeared as what the doctor had told him came back into focus. Gaara sat there for thirty-seven minutes telling Naruto what he'd been told about Sakura and her injuries. Several times the blond burst out into angry chatter and sometimes he even started crying. Through it all, Gaara noticed Hinata was there, rubbing the noisy blonde's back.

By this time, Kiba and Ino were awake and were being filled in by Naruto and Hinata. Gaara just basked in the glow of the knowledge that Sakura loved him. He heard Naruto telling Ino and Kiba about Sakura confessing to him and was surprised when Ino snorted and laughed. "Well duh. This isn't news to _me_. She's been in love with Gaara since we were in the eighth grade. Only reason she went out with Sasuke was because 1) she felt sorry for him after his parents died and figured the attention she gave him would distract him, and 2) she was afraid of screwing your friendship up. She didn't want things to end badly between you two and you never talk to each other again! And you guys think us _girls _are clueless!?" Ino shook her head and laid back on the bed, content now that she knew Sakura would live.

Everyone else seemed to calm down now, including Naruto. Naruto just looked at Gaara, who seemed to be in shock. The blond smiled and looked at Hinata, who blushed. Gaara shook his head and the blond male's antics and looked at the door when he heard a knock. Gaara pushed the door the rest of the way open to see a little girl with long silver hair and light brown eyes. She looked like she had been crying for some time now. A woman with black hair and brown eyes was holding her hand. The girl looked scared of him, so he knelt down so that she was slightly taller than him.

"What's wrong, little one?" Gaara asked her and noticed how fresh tears spilled down her face. Gaara smiled and waited for her to answer him. The little girl finally calmed enough to speak.

"I-is it t-true that…that Sakura-san is hurt?" the little girl was holding back tears and Gaara felt his heart clench. How did Sakura know this child?

"Yes…she was hurt very badly, but the doctors say she should be just fine. I talked to her this morning, if that makes you feel better." the little girl brightened, though she didn't smile. Gaara looked up the woman, who was obviously the child's mother. The woman sighed in relief and put her hand on top of her daughter's head.

"I'm one of the Physical Activities teachers at the university. Haruno-san was in my volleyball class two semesters ago. Before Haruno-san came around, there was no where for people like me and even the students to take their children. Haruno-san started a daycare on campus so that faculty and students alike could bring their kids to campus and get school provided daycare. Most of the caretakers are early childhood development students and pediatric students. Haruno-san is the head of the whole thing. When my husband called me and told me she'd been…hurt…I got here as quickly as I could." Gaara noticed the way she said 'hurt'. He wondered who her husband was that he could call her about a high profile case such as this. She seemed to read his mind, because she smiled and picked her daughter up.

"My name is Hatake Anko." Anko reached out her hand to Gaara, who took it and shook it lightly. Gaara was dazed, but that name sounded familiar. He'd never noticed how involved Sakura was with the campus activities. He looked up when Anko gave his hand a squeeze. "As soon as news that Haruno-san is in the hospital gets out, you are going to have a lot of angry parents coming to check on her. There are almost seventy kids in her program and each is attached to her, just like my Mikai. They are going to want to know what happened and the kids are going to want to see her. If she is in as bad of shape as Kakashi told me, you can't let the kids see her. It would break her heart." Gaara nodded and smiled at the little girl in Anko's arms.

"Don't worry Mikai. Sakura-san should be awake very soon. If you'd like, I could call your house and let her talk to you. But I don't think she would be happy if her students saw her in such bad shape. It would make her sad if she knew you were crying over her." Gaara admired the little girl's valiant attempt to stop crying. Gaara put his hand on her head and smiled reassuringly.

"Sakura-san is taking a little break, but I'm sure she will want to know how you guys are doing. If you have daycare tomorrow, why don't you ask one of the other teachers if you can make her cards or something. I'm sure it would help her get better faster…love can heal any wound." Gaara froze as those words left his mouth. They had been the last words Tsunade had said to him before she had died peacefully in her sleep. He had pushed them away from his mind for so long, but now they seemed to apply. He sighed and gave a slight yawn.

Mikai's eyes were wide and she nodded, a small smile finally coming to her face. Gaara smiled and looked over his shoulder at his friends. "I'm going to sit with Sakura-chan. If you guys want to go and get food or get cleaned up, go ahead. I'll call if anything happens." With that, Gaara walked out of the room. Ino, Kiba, Naruto and Hinata were shocked, to say the least.

"What just happened?" Kiba asked, his eyes wide. Ino shook her head, as did Hinata. Naruto was the only one that knew what this was all about. He shook his head and gave a small laugh. Everyone looked at him in question. He sighed and leaned back against the bed.

"Gaara has been in love with Sakura since I can remember. He told me once that he couldn't even remember when it happened, but that he just knew he loved her. He was afraid to tell her…afraid she would reject him like so many other people had. He knew that she loved him like a friend…maybe even like a brother…but he always wanted more. He's the reason we started 'GSN' nights. I wanted Gaara to be happy, and being around Sakura made him happy." Naruto frowned and sighed, looking over at them, his face serious.

"I haven't talked to Sakura-chan yet, but I know Sasuke did this to her. The officer that was here earlier, the one that rode in with us, told us they had irrefutable proof of it. You know what Gaara will do to him if he sees the teme." Kiba growled and nuzzled Ino's neck.

"Same thing I'd do to the bastard if I were in Gaara's shoes." Ino leaned back against her fiancé and shivered. Naruto nodded and looked at Hinata. She blushed when Naruto's eyes met hers and nodded in agreement to Kiba's statement. Hinata smiled and leaned against Naruto's shoulder. Naruto sighed and put his head on top of Hinata's.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Confessions

Three weeks after she told Gaara she loved him, Sakura was wide awake and itching to get out of the hospital. She still ached all over, but with Gaara's help, she had been getting stronger and healthier. He made her eat right, even when she didn't want to, and made her rest when the doctors told her to. He was with her every day, from the moment she woke up until the minute she fell asleep. Sakura felt safe with Gaara, but she also felt a deep sense of shame. She hadn't told anyone just what Sasuke had done to her. She shivered and pushed it from her mind.

She noticed Gaara looking at her with his hairless eyebrow arched and she giggled at him. A smirk appeared on his face as he sat on the bed beside her. Sakura shivered at his close proximity and he mistook it for her being cold. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close to him. She stiffened, but instantly calmed when he kissed her forehead. Her stiffening didn't go unnoticed by Gaara and he wondered what Sasuke had done to her. Several possibilities went through his mind and all made his blood boil.

Gaara smiled gently and rested his forehead against hers. "Sakura…what's wrong? You're tense…are you feeling well? Do you want to lie down?" He felt Sakura shake her head and he stiffened when he felt a something wet hit the back of his hand. He looked at his hand and saw her tears. He felt his stomach clench and pulled her against him. "Gods, Sakura, I'm sorry…whatever it is, I'm sorry. Please don't cry…" he begged her, rocking her back and forth.

Sakura decided it was time for her to speak up about what happened to her. Sakura rubbed her face against his shoulder and then spoke. "I want you to call Officer Iruka. I have something to tell them." Gaara saw the fear in her eyes, but also the determination. He walked out and went to use the cell phone he had bought while Sakura was in the hospital. As he walked out, the young nurse that had been so nice to her walked in, looked around, and shut the door. Sakura knew what this was about and was grateful to the nurse.

"I preserved the kit like you asked Haruno-san. I also did the blood tests you requested. Everything came back negative…you have nothing to worry about." The nurse smiled at the relieved tears that fell down Sakura's face. She reached out and put her hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up at the woman to see her worried face. "Haruno-san…you should really talk to someone about this. You have to know this isn't your fault." Sakura nodded and put her hand over the nurses.

"I know Michi-san. It's just hard right now what with Gaara and Naruto-" She didn't get to finish because Gaara came back in. Sakura dropped her hand, as did the nurse. The nurse gave her a friendly smile and covered for the young woman.

"Alright, Haruno-san. I'll be right back with that food you wanted. I promise you it won't be the gross cafeteria food Sabaku-san has been forcing you to eat." Sakura giggled at the indignant look on Gaara's face.

"I don't _force _her eat it. I merely _suggest_ she eat it so that she can get better quicker. So don't even try that Michi-san!" this time, both Sakura and Michi laughed. Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and glared. Sakura shook her head and looked up at him. Gaara walked over to her and sat on her bed, putting her cast covered arms in his lap. He growled when he saw her wince in pain. Even if her arms were healing nice and fast, they were still painful. Gaara inspected her hands, which poked out of her casts. He kissed them and put them against his face.

"I see Naruto has been doodling on your casts again. There's another bowl of ramen on this one." He heard Sakura giggle and smiled. He grabbed the bottle of whiteout from her purse and went to work covering the bowl of ramen up. He saw all the names of their friends from high school and the names of most of their college friends. He noticed the cute doodles on the other one and the hearts on it. He smiled, remembering when the kids from the daycare, which he learned was actually a preschool, had come to visit. Sakura had been wheeled into a larger receiving room so that all the kids could fit. They had all wanted to hug her, which had made Gaara cringe on her behalf.

However, she did fine with the kids and they all signed her casts. Her gown hid her hip cast, which was signed as well, but only Sakura and himself knew it. Gaara smiled as he remembered when he had wrote 'I (heart) U' in black and then his name in red under it while she was sleeping. At first she had freaked out, which he still wondered about, and then she had giggled at him. He sat there with her until there was a soft knock on the door. Michi came in with a tray that was covered. Gaara arched a brow and stared at the tray. Michi giggled and uncovered it. On the tray was some rice, plain, chicken stir fry with peppers, carrots and potatoes in a light sauce, and one stick of dango. Gaara scowled at the dango.

"Anko is here with Mikai…she put the dango on there when I was passing." Michi giggled when Gaara rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine…she can have the dango since it's from Anko and Mikai. I'm going to run out and speak to them…I'll be right back Sakura-chan." Gaara leaned down and kissed her forehead, making Michi smile. Sakura blushed and smiled at him, accepting the kiss with a sigh. As soon as the door shut, they resumed their conversation.

"I didn't want to worry them, since there was such extensive damage. I had Gaara call Officer Iruka, but I would really like it if you stayed as well. I'm not sure I'd be all that comfortable with a guy, and he IS the leading investigator in my case." Michi smiled at her and nodded. Sakura let her breath out and smiled back. Mutual understanding filled the air as a knock came to the door. It opened to reveal Mikai and Anko. The door shut and Sakura heard two male voices talking on the other side. She looked at Anko, who smiled.

"We were on our way over when Iruka called Kakashi and asked if Kakashi could see what you needed. I have a feeling I know what's going on, so I decided to let you see Mikai before you started feeling bad." Sakura smiled and nodded. Mikai ran and jumped carefully onto the bed, making sure not to hurt her teacher. She held out her hands and smiled hugely. Sakura took what was in her hands and smiled at the large hand made card. She leaned the best she could and hugged the girl half heartedly, as she couldn't really do anything else.

"Thank you Mikai…it's lovely. Thank the other kids for me, okay?" Mikai nodded emphatically and smiled up at her mother. Anko nodded and took her hand. She turned to Sakura once more before looking at Gaara and then back at Sakura.

"If this is what I think it is…you might want to keep a hold on that one. Otherwise, Uchiha won't be the one on trial…he'll be dead." Sakura noticed the confusion on Gaara's face and sighed. She nodded and smiled weakly at the older woman.

"Thank you…Anko-sensei." Anko nodded and left, her daughter singing something while they walked out. Seconds later, a tall man with silver hair and an eye patch walked in. Sakura cocked her head at the man, who was followed in by Michi. Michi sat on the bed next to her, her hand on Sakura's shoulder. Gaara stood a little ways from Sakura, still confused. Sakura took a deep breath as the man shut the door and introduced himself.

"I'm Officer Hatake Kakashi. I believe you wanted to speak with my partner, Iruka?" Sakura nodded and fidgeted with her blanket. Gaara watched her pick at the blanket nervously. He walked over and took her hands in his, making her stop. She looked up at him and he could see the fear and apprehension…the shame. His breathing froze for a few seconds as he tried to puzzle out what was going on.

"I..I've decided that…I-it's time I told you…w-what h-happened to m-me." She tried not to be so nervous, but she couldn't shake it. She felt arms wrap around her and looked over her shoulder to see Gaara sitting behind her, his arms around her and his face against her shoulder. She smiled and closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Kakashi once more. Kakashi nodded and took out a tape recorder. Sakura squeezed Michi's hand, who smiled encouragingly at her.

"Subject: Haruno Sakura. Account of her attack by Uchiha Sasuke. May 21st, 11:27 am." Sakura watched him as he prepared. He looked up at her with a smile when he was done. "You may start at any time, Haruno-san." Sakura nodded and took a deep breath, preparing to relive what had happened.

"I was doing laundry when there was a knock at the door…" She began and it was like a video started playing in her mind.

_Begin Flashback_

_Sakura was pulling a load of laundry out of her washing machine when there was a loud knock at her door. She sighed and put her wet clothes in the drier and started it before answering the door. It was Sasuke. Sakura sighed, wondering why he was here. She didn't even know why she was still with him…he was always mean to her. She invited him in._

_"Good afternoon, Sasuke-kun. Do you need something?" she asked politely, hoping she could get rid of him rather easily…no such luck. Sasuke walked in and made himself at home, sprawling with his dirty shoes on her couch. Sakura frowned and scolded him. "Sasuke! Get your dirty shoes off my couch right now! You know you're supposed to take them off before you even come into the house!" she put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. He looked at her and then dismissed her, grabbing the remote instead of listening._

_She watched as he turned on the television and turned it to some drama he loved watching. Sakura clenched her fists and marched over to him. She had had enough of this from him. She jerked the remote out of his hand, turned off the T.V. and stood between him and what he'd been watching. He wasn't too happy about it. "HEY! I was watching that!" he growled, his eyes narrowing. Sakura narrowed her eyes right back._

_"Sasuke…I told you to take your shoes off. If you can't abide by the rules of my house, you can go back to your own house. Understood!?" with that, Sakura turned and went into her kitchen. She could hear him behind her. She wondered what he wanted now._

_"You know there's a _reason _I came over here. I don't drive thirty minutes for nothing." he complained…again. Sakura sighed as she listened to something she was accustomed to hearing three and four times a week. She rolled her eyes and started making her something to eat. She considered making enough for two, but he interrupted her by grabbing her arm…painfully._

_Sakura winced, but covered it up with a glare. Sasuke knew she hated for people to grab her arm, but he never considered what she felt and wanted. She jerked her arm from him and stood there. "I'm listening. What's _so _important that you had to take thirty minutes out of your _precious _day to come and see your _girlfriend_." She saw the satisfied look on his face and wondered if he knew she was being sarcastic…probably not._

_"I've decided we're going to take our relationship to the next step." he announced proudly. Sakura stared at him, not quite sure she understood. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach._

_"What do you mean 'next step'?" she asked warily, putting the island in her kitchen between them. She could see the excitement on his face. She wondered what was going through his mind and then decided she really didn't want to know. She decided to force clarification. "If you're asking me to marry you…" she trailed off at his scoffing expression._

_"I mean, I've decided we should be intimate." he shook his head, like _she_ was the one out of her mind. Sakura grunted in annoyance._

_"Like hell. I'm not sleeping with you just because you've _decided _I should." she said angrily. She took deep breaths to contain her anger. She could see his angry face as well. Before he could say anything else, her phone rang. She answered it._

_"Sakura here. Oh, hi Naruto!" she said sweetly, much to Sasuke's annoyance. She turned her back on him and started talking to her foster brother. "Tonight? Yeah, I could use the distraction. Nothing, just a lot of stress…No, no, it's alright, I can make enough for all of us. Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can. No chick flicks, okay? I know you like the Lake House, but I need something with lots of action." she laughed as he said something. It was then that Sasuke started yelling in the background._

_Sakura started waving her hand at him, trying to silence him. He started yelling about her not spending time with him, not taking his decision seriously, never doing what he wanted and several other things. Sakura put her finger in her ear so she could hear Naruto. "Yeah…I'll be there as soon as I'm done cooking. Oh, it's just Sasuke. No, he's NOT staying for dinner. We're kind of…not agreeing on something. Look, if I'm not there in two hours, _then_ start to worry, okay? It might take me a while to cook this and I have to talk this out with Sasuke. Yeah, love you too little brother. Bye." Sakura hung up her phone and turned angry eyes on Sasuke._

_"Sasuke, I spend more time with you than with my brother and my friends combined. When we do things together, it's _always_ what you want to do, and you're right…I'm not seriously considering this 'decision' of yours because you never talked to me about it and you haven't considered my feelings on the matter. Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, I don't _want_ to be intimate with you? I'm twenty years old, marriage isn't exactly in the near future for me. I'm not having sex with anyone I'm not married to and you just said you weren't even thinking about marrying me. So sex is out of the question unless you're going to marry me right here and now…which you won't do." Sakura went back to cooking. She was almost done when she felt something press against her back. She shook her head at his attempt to change her mind. She unwound his hands from her waist and stepped away from him._

_"I'm not changing my mind Sasuke. I'm not having sex with you." she said firmly and walked over to her cabinet to grab three bento boxes. She pulled out an orange one with little frogs on it and a red one with little raccoons on it. She heard Sasuke curse behind her and she turned to look at him, boxes in hand and eyebrow raised. Sasuke was staring at the red bento box._

_"You're going to see _him _again, aren't you!?" he demanded angrily. Sakura sighed and went back to her cooking._

_"His _name_ is Gaara and I've been friends with him since I was a child. We grew up together, Sasuke…just like Naruto and I grew up together. I don't understand why you are so mean to him." Sakura started putting the food into the boxes. She put rice and stir fry into the largest section and then added sushi to one of the smaller sections and a few dumplings into the last section. She smiled and closed each box with care. She then grabbed her own box, which was pink with little kitties on it. She filled hers as well, put the lid on it and stacked it on top of the other two. She wrapped them in a yellow cloth and put them in her microwave._

_"I don't like him because you flirt with him whenever the two of you are together. You hang all over him and it's like I don't even exist!" Sakura thought about what Sasuke was saying…it was true. When she was with Gaara, it was like everything else didn't exist. "Not only that, but when you're with him, he glares at me, he puts his arm around you…he claims you without saying or doing anything! You may deny it, but he's in love with you and you're in love with him!" Sasuke accused, his eyes wild. Sakura's head shot up and she looked at him._

_"Sasuke…I think it's time for you to leave. If you're going to accuse me of cheating on you, you'd better have damn good evidence, because I've _never_ cheated on you, even when you cheated on me with that exchange student in high school. What was her name? Karin? Yeah, remember her? _You _cheated on _me _with her, remember? And I _forgave _you! Now you accuse me of cheating on you with my _best friend_!? I go to Gaara for advice and for help at school. You seek other girls because I won't sleep with you!" Sakura screamed, finally having enough. She glared at him and pointed to the door._

_"Get out of my house Uchiha. This is the last straw, I'm tired of you being jealous of my friends and my _brother_ of all people. You have said a lot of mean and hurtful things to me in the past, but accusing me of cheating on you when I have been completely faithful is the last straw. Now get out and don't bother coming back." She turned away from him and tried to hide her tears. His accusations hurt her, even though they were preposterous. She had never been unfaithful to him._

_"Sakura…you can't just break up with me…it doesn't work like that!" he yelled back at her. Sakura turned around to see him stalking towards her. She gulped and took a few steps back._

_"Yes, it _does_ work like that Sasuke. I break up with you, mourn your loss for a few days, and move on with my life. That's _exactly _how it works." she hissed at him. She could see rage and lust in his eyes. She prayed that she could get away from him. Before she could move, he leaped at her._

_End Flashback_

Sakura could feel Gaara trembling behind her. She was aware of her grip on Michi's hand, who was rubbing her shoulder. Sakura sighed and looked up at Kakashi. "The rest is told by the injuries on my body. He screamed at me, hit me, accused me of vile things…" there were tears in her voice, but she was trying to be strong. "He beat me up like this because he's a control freak, I wouldn't sleep with him _and_ I broke up with him…" Kakashi nodded and was about to stop the recorder when he noticed Michi whisper to Sakura. Sakura closed her eyes and gulped. He had a bad feeling about this.

Michi stood and motioned to Kakashi. The officer smiled at Sakura and said he'd only be a moment. He followed Michi out and the young nurse closed the door. When she was sure no one would hear, Michi spoke. "Sakura-chan's afraid to say anything in front of Sabaku-san, but Sasuke also raped her." Michi said it quietly, not looking at the officer. Kakashi's heart clenched for the young woman. She had taken great pride in her chastity and that selfish kid had taken that from her.

"I'll call in one of our female officers to talk to her about it while I talk to Sabaku. Meanwhile, we'll need a copy of the rape kit and any evidence you may have had." Michi frowned, looking down.

"Sakura-chan said that she was so ashamed of herself that she had burned her clothes and tried to scrub herself clean. However, there was still seminal fluid inside her. We managed to get enough DNA. We just need the blood sample from the crime scene to compare it to. Also, we did tests for STD s…they were all negative. She's terrified she's pregnant, so I gave her the morning after pill. However, there is one sure fired way to make sure she doesn't get pregnant, but I haven't been able to convince her to allow me to give it to her. It's herbal, so the hospital doesn't swear by it. However, my grandmother is a medicine woman and young girls have sought her out for this very reason." Kakashi nodded and got on his phone.

"I need a female officer at the hospital to speak with a rape victim. Send the Uchiha Sasuke blood sample with her for medics to make a comparison as well." Kakashi hung up the phone and turned back to Michi. He smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I know you've become friends with her, and that's for the best at this point. She needs someone with her at all times, just in case something happens." Michi nodded and walked back in with Kakashi. What they saw made them smile. Gaara was curled up around Sakura, who had her head on his arms. His other arm was wrapped around her waist and he pulled her tightly against him without hurting her.

"To be young again…" Kakashi sighed and looked at the ceiling. Michi giggled lightly and looked at him.

"Isn't the saying 'to be young and in love again'?" Kakashi shrugged and looked at her.

"That's the saying, but the only one I'm missing is the youth." he smiled as they walked out of the room. She was laughing at him for his goofy nature and he was thinking of his wife and how much he wanted to hold her.

Kakashi turned to Michi again and smiled. "The female officer should be here shortly. I should meet her-" he didn't even get to finish because someone yelled his name.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi looked up to see the junior officer, a young woman, running towards him. He smiled at her and waited for her to catch her breath as she ran towards them. "Kakashi-sensei…I was on my way to talk to my friend that's here when HQ said you needed a female officer. The blood sample is here." she said, handing the sample to Kakashi, who gave it to Michi. Michi bowed and went to send the sample in for comparison. Kakashi smiled.

"Shizune-chan…you really shouldn't yell in a hospital." he teased her, making her blush. She smiled up at him and scratched the back of her head. Kakashi laughed and motioned her to follow him. She followed him until they were at Sakura's room. Kakashi pointed in and Shizune looked in.

"Oh…my…Sakura-chan!?" she whispered, tears in her eyes. She looked over at Kakashi, who looked surprised. Shizune looked at the floor. "Sakura-chan's mother, Tsunade-san, dated my brother until he died in a car accident. She never really recovered from it, but she moved on. Dan was all I had, so she took me in. I was away at college when a man called me and told me that Tsunade-san was having a baby. He sounded nice and I wanted to see Tsunade-san so badly. I rushed back here and that was the first time I saw Sakura-chan. Sakura was four when I graduated from the academy, but I wanted to travel before I tied myself down, so Tsunade-san gave me my half of Dan's insurance money and I went traveling. When I came back, Sakura was eight and had a foster brother named Naruto. That red head was always with them as well…three peas in a pod…" Shizune looked at Kakashi, her eyes hard suddenly. Kakashi was surprised by the sudden change.

"What happened, Sensei…who did this to her?" Kakashi cleared his throat and looked away. He could feel Shizune's eyes boring into him.

"She was beaten by her boyfriend because she wouldn't sleep with him and broke up with him when he started being an ass to her. He…he also…raped her." He heard something and looked back to see Shizune with tears in her eyes. He felt so sorry for her. He shook his head. "Perhaps I should get one of the other-" however, Shizune cut him off.

"No…she needs me. I wasn't around to protect her, but I'll be damn sure to make the bastard that did this to her pays for it." he was startled by the cold note in her voice. He had never seen the junior officer so riled up…it was mildly intimidating.

"Very well…but you have to record the session. I'll be taking the red head for 'more questioning' while you talk to her. Her friend, the little nurse you gave the blood to, said she was scared to say anything in front of him because he'd kill the guy that attacked her." He watched her carefully as she looked into the room via the window. He thought he heard her say 'he'll have to wait in line', but he ignored it.

He was walking towards the door when Shizune grabbed his uniform sleeve. He looked at her as she continued to stare at the young woman through the window. "Sensei…I can't leave her again. Not after this. After this case, I'm going to put in for my resignation. I owe Tsunade-san that much…I have to take care of her." Kakashi walked back over to her and put his hand on her head.

"It's too late for that, Shizune. You can't save Sakura from this, but if you stay on the force, you can prevent other girls from suffering what she's going through. Tell me, would Tsunade-san really want you to abandon your duty for something you can't change?" Shizune gasped and looked up at him. His answer was in her eyes and he smiled at her. "Help her as much as you can and leave her in the care of her friends…they're the only family she has that she knows of." Kakashi went to the door and knocked. Shizune noticed the red head lift up and look at the male officer. He looked down at Sakura, who nodded and sat up. Shizune composed herself and watched as the young man followed Kakashi out of the room.

Shizune walked up to him and smiled. The red head didn't smile back, rather he frowned at her. Then came the warning. "If you upset her, I'll know. You better not hurt her lady, or I won't be responsible for my actions. She's been through enough." Shizune stiffened at the warning and nodded. She didn't let on that she would rather cut off her own arm than hurt Sakura.

Shizune walked in and smiled at the young woman before her. The girl looked confused for a second, like she was trying to remember something. Shizune sat on a stool next to the girl's bed and introduced herself. "Hello Haruno-san, my name is Shizune. I understand there is something you wish to report that you are not comfortable telling to my senior officer, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked kindly. Shizune saw the shame in the girl's eyes and had to stop herself from blowing it. She watched Sakura nod and listened to her story.

_Begin Flashback_

_Sakura was covering her head while Sasuke continued to hit her, yelling at her and calling her all kinds of vile names. She managed to wriggle so that her foot was between them and she pushed as hard as she could. This sent him across the room. Sakura managed to get to her feet and was trying to make it into the kitchen to her phone. Without warning, she was slammed against the wall in front of her. She felt her hips twist in a way they shouldn't have, but there was no pain._

_She felt him behind her, pressed against her as tightly as he could be at that moment. She felt his putrid breath against the back of her neck and she made a disgusted noise. She tried to get away from him, but he just chuckled at her. "Sakura…I forgive you for your temper tantrum. I will take you back, if you get on your knees and beg. I might even let you suck my-" he didn't get to finish as she whipped her head back and made contact with his cheek. He let her go and held his cheek, yelling obscenities at her as he did. She weakly made her way over to the island where her phone was._

_She almost had hope, until he grabbed the phone first and threw it into the living room. He had her pinned against the island, her upper body lying on top of the large structure while her lower was being pinned by his. He growled out a threat at her and she hissed at him, not willing to give up. He grabbed her hair and yanked her around to face him. Before he could react, she landed a solid punch to his chest, putting all her remaining strength into it. He stumbled back, holding himself and whimpering in pain. Sakura managed to limp into the living room, trying to get to her phone._

_She had just made it past the couch and was almost to the phone when she was tackled. She landed on the large wooden coffee table, which was crushed by their combined weights. All her strength abandoned her as she fought weakly against him, yelling for him to get off her, that she'd kill him if she ever got out of this, but he continued. He ripped her clothes from her, roughly running his hands over her already bruised body. As he said dirty things in her ear, she was swallowed by the darkness. Her last thought before she passed out, was that Gaara was going to be pissed at her for not taking his advice and getting a room mate._

_End Flashback_

"When I woke up, he was gone and I was still lying on the busted coffee table. There was blood and semen on the carpet and on pieces of the table. I felt so dirty, knowing his hands had been all over me…" she choked and shut her eyes tightly against the memory. She thought she would die of the shame. She took a deep breath and continued. "I went into my bathroom and scrubbed myself raw. I wanted the feel of him off. When I was done, I dried my hair, put on my makeup to hide the bruising, and left to meet up with Naruto and Gaara-kun." she blushed lightly as she said the red head's name. Shizune was quiet as she listened to her young 'niece' recount her horrifying experience. Shizune swallowed hard and smiled gently at Sakura.

"I'm sorry this happened to you and I wish I could do more to help you, but you must know that this was not your fault, in any way. Also, not all…sexual…experiences are as horrible and vile as what he did to you. That wasn't love or intimacy…that was a hideous act of control." Sakura was surprised that the woman was trying to make her feel better. She smiled at the woman and nodded.

"Thank you, Shizune-san. I will take what you have said into mind." Sakura smiled and looked up as the door opened to reveal Gaara. Sakura could tell that something was wrong with him and she beckoned him with her eyes. He immediately went to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead and rubbed his nose against her temple. She relaxed against him and it was then that Shizune's words came to mind. Sakura smiled…the woman was afraid Sakura wouldn't be able to be intimate with the one she loved…

Sakura watched as Shizune stood, bowed to them, and walked over to Kakashi. The older woman smiled back at them and something inside Sakura snapped. She knew that half turned posture…that kind yet sad smile. "Wait, Shizune-san!" Sakura held out one cast covered arm to the older woman. The brunette turned to her with a blank expression. Sakura knew she knew this woman. She searched her mind and found glimpses of a young woman smiling at her, telling her that she loved her. Tears started streaming down her face. Gaara stiffened and glared at the woman.

Shizune was startled at the girl's reaction and a bit worried at the young man's. Sakura then burst into tears, crying her heart out. Between her sobs, words could be heard. "You…you knew…m-my mother." was the only sentence she got out that everyone understood. Gaara's eyes narrowed on her as he held Sakura protectively. However, he was stunned when Shizune's knees gave out and she fell to the floor, her face to the floor and her arms hiding her face.

"Shizune!" Kakashi dropped to his knees beside the young officer. Gaara heard sobs coming from the young woman.

"I told you I couldn't do it, sensei…she remembers me…I can't leave her again, I can't…not after what he did to her!" the woman sobbed as she pounded her small fists against the tile of the room. Kakashi rubbed her back and spoke to her.

"Shizune…you can't help that you had to leave to ensure you had a future. Tsunade-san didn't blame you and I'm sure Sakura-san won't blame you either. You were doing what was best for you after your brother was taken from you." Gaara heard Sakura wailing something and he tried to calm her down enough to where they could understand her.

"Sakura, baby, we can't understand you. If you don't calm down the nurses are going to come running in…is that what you want?" he asked gently as he rubbed her back and kissed her temple. He could tell she was running out of energy, because while her sobs were still as heart wrenching, there wasn't much power or sound behind them as before. He managed to catch one word being repeated over and over and over as she cried against his shoulder. She was calling this woman before them 'nee-san'.

Gaara looked at the woman closely and searched his memory. It was fuzzy, but he remembered a young woman with brunette hair talking to Tsunade, who was smiling as she played with her daughter, her foster son, and their friends. The blonde's smile had faltered at something the brunette had said and she looked up at the younger woman sadly, but nodded her head. The brunette had walked over to Sakura, who had looked up at her and yelled 'nee-san' before running to the girl and wrapping her arms around the girl's leg.

Gaara remembered that after that day, neither Sakura nor Tsunade had spoken of the woman. It was like she had never existed. He wondered what the woman had said to Tsunade that had upset the blond woman enough that she hadn't spoken of the young brunette since. Gaara shook his head and watched the woman sob on the floor. He sighed and rested his chin on the top of Sakura's pink head.

Gaara looked at Kakashi, who had his radio in his hand. He was saying something into it and Gaara watched as the silver haired officer tried to calm the brunette down. Gaara rubbed Sakura's back and whispered loving words to her. He felt her tension slowly dissipating and he sighed. He felt her breathing even out and he rubbed his face against her hair as she slept against him.

He heard footsteps rapidly approaching their room and looked up just in time to see another young officer with a lighter shade of brunette hair and a red tint stop as he saw the woman and the silver haired officer. The newcomer cursed and dropped to the floor beside her. Gaara watched as the man pulled Shizune into his lap and began calming her, much like he did with Sakura.

Gaara watched as the young man said something to the silver haired officer and then picked the brunette up. The silver haired one nodded and the male brunette took off with the female. Gaara looked at the silver haired man, who sighed and looked back at the couple. Gaara made a growling noise low in his throat making the silver haired man chuckle. Gaara, however, was far from amused. He glared at the silver haired officer. "What the hell were you thinking?" he hissed at the man, who shook his head and gave Gaara an annoyed looked.

"Something more happened than she is letting on. I had Shizune, someone familiar to her, find out. You should ask her about it as soon as she wakes up." Kakashi told the red head in an almost emotionless voice. His piece spoken, the officer left. Gaara stiffened at the implications and looked down at Sakura. He noticed the tear trails and growled again…he hated it when she cried. He curled his body around hers and held her, waiting for her to wake up.

He didn't have to wait long, because he had just gotten comfortable when he felt her struggling, like she was trying to get away from someone. She let out a whimper that broke his heart and he let her go, but still she struggled. He heard incoherent threats and growled words of hatred, but it was the tears that were streaming down her face that made him nervous. While he waited for her to wake up, she started talking in her sleep.

"No…leave me alone! I don't want this…I don't want _you_. No…get away!" she moaned. He looked at her with wide eyes. Her eyes were clenched shut and she was struggling against some unseen adversary. However, his heart shattered when she went still, tears streaming more frequently. "Gaara-kun…I'm sorry…" she whispered and started sobbing in her sleep. Gaara stared at her and thought back over how she had looked and reacted when she had first come into the house with them. Realization struck him and something inside him snapped.

Gaara gently reached out to her and tried to wake her up. Afraid to hurt her, he decided on a more gentle method than shaking her. He got on his knees and leaned towards her. Gently, he started kissing her awake. He knew the moment she was conscious because she stiffened and gasped. He looked up into her emerald green eyes and smiled gently at her. She was about to say something when he put his finger over her lips and kissed her forehead.

"Little fool…I love you no matter what happens." he said gently and nuzzled her neck. He heard her choked sob and he held her while she cried. She curled herself into his body and let the pain and sadness take her. Gaara held her while she mourned her lost innocence. The entire time, Gaara was plotting…he would make the Uchiha pay for this…pay for hurting _his_ Sakura like this. He looked down when he noticed that there were no more heaving sobs. What he saw made his stomach flip. Sakura had her arms lying against his waist, her head on his chest nuzzling subconsciously.

His breathing became heavy as he watched her, arousal building in his body. "Sakura…you have to stop that Sakura…" he said desperately. He didn't know what would happen with him aroused as he was if she were to notice. Still, she nuzzled him and he felt her arms shift against him. He laid there, clearly uncomfortable, but refusing to leave her side. He gave a sigh of relief when her breathing evened out and she was asleep once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Father, Where Art Thou?

Three days after her meeting with the officers, her hip was declared fully healed. The doctors were going to remove her cast, but it was clearly stated that only female doctors would be allowed to remove it. One of the surgeons protested, but one cold look from Gaara and a scathing rebuke from Shizune had the man cowering.

Gaara had made the effort to get to know Shizune and had learned her story. He was no longer hostile towards her and held her in the same regard he would a sister. The two of them made a good team when it came to making sure Sakura was cared for properly. Naruto had come in the day before and told Sakura that he was selling their mother's old house and that Sakura would be moving in with them…no excuses. Instead of fighting the decision, Sakura had told Naruto she had already taken care of the house. Naruto had been confused until Gaara had told him that Shizune would be living in the house, that way the house was still theirs, but it didn't go to waste.

Naruto had taken one look at Shizune, pointed in dumbfounded remembrance, and then pounced on her with the excitement of a three year old. Shizune had been by Sakura's side as much as she could considering her job, and the brunette man from before was never far from her. Gaara had glared at the man suspiciously until Shizune had introduced him as her partner. Gaara knew the man harbored feelings for Shizune, but the young woman seemed oblivious. He could honestly say he knew how the man felt, so he gave the man his advice: tell her before something terrible happened.

Today, when Shizune came in, she was blushing madly and every once in a while would look over at her partner, who would smile cockily at her. Gaara's lip had turned up at the corner, but he hadn't really smiled. Sakura had yet to confirm or dis confirm his suspicions as to what Sasuke had done to her and it was frustrating him. However, he would not push her into telling him. He could feel her apprehension of anyone near her with sharp objects, which he completely understood. When the female doctors had asked everyone to clear out so they could proceed, Gaara had glared.

With a blatant 'No' for his answer, he had gone to the head of Sakura's bed and allowed her to slip her hand in his, needing his comfort. The doctors had protested until Michi had glared at them, told them to stop whining about it and just get it done. Being the head of the nursing department, she had more sway then most of the doctors present. Gaara gave her a grateful look and she just winked at him before turning and scolding the doctors for hesitating.

And now, here they sat, on her bed and her body more comfortable than before. She had changed out of the flimsy hospital gown and into a loose pair of black sleeping pants and a loose red cut off shirt. She was lying on her bed, laughing with Gaara, Naruto, and Hinata when someone unknown to them came in. The man wore a black suit and blue tie and exuded an air of superiority. His dark hair contrasted greatly with his golden eyes. He looked at them, a scowl on his face. Gaara noticed the instant fear on Sakura's face and stood between the unknown man and his blossom. The man openly glared at him.

"Are _you_ Haruno Sakura?" he asked in a sneer. Sakura's fists clenched in Gaara's shirt, her entire frame shaking. Gaara growled menacingly at the man, earning him a startled frown.

"Who the _hell _are you and what the _fuck_ are you doing here?" Gaara growled. The man looked offended that this _heathen_ didn't know who he was. He was about to answer when a quiet whisper interrupted them.

"His name is Inomura Sankuto. He's the seediest defense lawyer in the nation. He's only ever lost three cases in twelve years of practice. He's gotten some of the most obviously guilty criminals off the hook through manipulation and coercion." Everyone looked at Hinata, who was glaring at the man. Her eyes were uncharacteristically cold and her tone was devoid of emotion. Naruto noticed and stepped closer to his girlfriend, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The man smirked at them, pleased. "Seems you can't forget me after all, ne, Hinata-chan?" His smug look disappeared when she gave a mirthless laugh. It was almost like there was a side to her that her closest friends had never seen, but this man was quite familiar with.

"You have _never_ had the privilege of calling my anything but Hyuuga-sama and that's not changing now. You might have fooled my family into thinking that you aren't as disgustingly two-faced as you really are, but I _know _better Inomura." She hissed at him, her eyes narrowed on him and her fists clenched. Naruto reached out and took her hands into his, slowly easing the tension in them.

The man narrowed his eyes on the couple, but said nothing. However, he turned his attention to his objective. "Haruno Sakura…I am here about your accusations against Uchiha Sasuke." Gaara's body language instantly changed and had his aura been visible, it would have been a swirling black vortex of doom. However, the man merely tried looking past the red head to the woman he had every intention of convincing to drop the charges…one way or another.

He looked at the three present and smirked. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you three to leave…as the lawyer of the man she has made these _preposterous_ accusations against, I have a right to question her without the presence of those that would…influence…her responses." He smirked at the shocked look on the blond man's face. However, his glee ended as soon as the door opened and a man with white hair walked in.

"If you think you are going to be left alone with my daughter, you'd best think again, Sankuto." the man was in a suit much like the other man's, but made of much finer material. Sakura sat bolt upright and stared around Gaara.

"D-daddy!?" she squeaked. Gaara tensed as he looked at the man that had been absent from Sakura's life for many, many years. Sankuto looked shocked too. He looked at the white haired man, then at Sakura.

"Why are you here, Sannin? She's not in your jurisdiction." dark haired lawyer hissed at the white haired man that had entered the room and seemed to take it over. The man smiled warmly at Sakura, who was clutching at Gaara still. However, when he noticed Gaara's proximity, his eyes narrowed.

"Shizune called me and told me everything. Tsunade and I may have divorced when Sakura was little, but she is still my daughter and that entitles me to check on her when she is hurt. The question is…why are you here? You know full well that you are only allowed to question her in the presence of her lawyer and the investigating officers…_not_ in her hospital room." Sankuto gulped and looked away. Sakura's father opened the door.

"Out." he told the sleazy lawyer. The man cursed under his breath and gave one last piercing look at the young people in front of him and walked out. No sooner had he stepped out than the white haired man slammed the door. A yelp was heard on the other side, making the man chuckle. He then turned his attention back to the young people in the room…or more specifically, Gaara. "My name is Sannin Jiraiya. And you are?" Gaara was about to answer when Sakura tugged at him. Gaara looked back at her, the pleading in her eyes, and he sighed. He sat on the bed beside her and motioned for the other two to sit as well.

Jiraiya arched one brow and waited. However, it was Sakura that answered, not Gaara. "Daddy…Gaara-kun…he's…he's my boyfriend." she said with a red face. Jiraiya noticed the momentary surprise on the red head's face before his features were schooled once more. He noticed his foster son, Naruto, gape for a second as well before a smile appeared on his face. However, Jiraiya was far from happy.

"I thought I told you that if anything happened to call me." he growled, looking more at Naruto than at Sakura. Naruto blanched and looked at Sakura for help. Jiraiya looked at his daughter to see her eyes narrowed on him…just like her mother used to do. He sighed and not for the first time wished his ex-wife was still alive. He sighed and wiped his face with his hands before pulling a chair up at the end of her bed and looking at her.

"So…how long have you two been together?" He knew that when his daughter was in this kind of mood, it was best to just change the subject. He noticed that the red head was looking at him unblinkingly. It was rather unnerving for him.

"Since we were eight." the red head replied apathetically. From his position, Jiraiya noticed Sakura kick the red head, whom he knew to be Gaara now, hard enough to draw those pale green orbs to her own. There was something in her eyes that told Gaara to play nice with her father. Jiraiya smirked until what he'd been told and what had just been said, sank in.

"If you two have been together that long, how is it my baby girl is in the hospital? And what's this about her boyfriend beating her?" Sakura sighed and shook her head sadly. She looked over at Naruto, who looked ashamed as well. She smiled at him weakly.

"Naruto, why don't you and Hinata go and get something to eat. I need to talk to daddy and get things cleared up. I'll have Gaara-kun call you when we're finished, ne?" Naruto looked like he wanted to protest, but Hinata's gentle hand on his shoulder convinced him not to. He stood, kissed Sakura on top of her head, and looked at his stepfather.

"Before you go accusing us of not taking care of her, pops, you should look at your own track record with her. We did what we could while you were busy with your job." Naruto's eyes held none of the hate his words should have evidenced, but rather a deep hurt at being abandoned. The white haired man looked away from his foster son in shame.

He knew that his constant working was what had driven their family apart. Even now, it too time away from his daughter. He sighed and looked at them. "I can assure you, your mother and I didn't get a divorce because we didn't love one another…actually the opposite. She was terrified that you two would get caught in the crossfire my job created. She wanted to make sure that one of us would always be around to protect you two." Both Sakura and Naruto frowned at him.

"Daddy…Momma died peacefully, in her sleep, and you never even came to the funeral. It was two months after she died that you even _called _me." there were tears in her voice and he knew that if he looked up, he would see Tsunade's face looking back at him just like the day they had decided to split up so their kids would be safe and happy. He sighed and shook his head.

"Haven't you ever wondered why your mother put her maiden name on your birth certificate? Why you were never named Sannin, like me? It's because lawyers have enemies…powerful enemies. My job demanded more time than was sane for someone as young as I was with a family. I was shooting up the ranks quickly and by the time Sakura was born, I was a prosecutor for the state. I had made some powerful enemies and they had no problem targeting my family to make me back off a case." he shook his head, wishing he didn't have to talk about this. He had loved Tsunade more than life itself and leaving her and Sakura had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

The stunned silence in the room told him they had expected some kind of excuse, but not this. He sighed and took out a small box. He opened it and took out a small golden locket. He opened it and handed it to Sakura. She looked in it and saw herself, her mother, and her father. All of them were smiling. She gasped and looked up at him. "I thought I lost this when I was little…you've had it all these years?" He nodded and put it back in the box after she handed it back to him.

"Your mother gave it to me so that I would never forget how much both of you loved me. She knew I was filing for a divorce for both of your safety. When she adopted Naruto, I was there and co-signed the papers. I wanted people to think I didn't care for her anymore, so I stayed away as much as possible to allow Sakura to grow up normally. It wasn't until Sakura turned eight that it was revealed that even though we were divorced, we were still seeing one another and the rumor that I was a lecher fell apart. People who wanted revenge against me started targeting her. She kept all of it away from you guys at all costs. When Shizune joined the police academy, it was just another thing for me to worry about. Your mother sent me a letter begging me to have Shizune placed on a safer patrol." he put the box back into his coat pocket. He looked up at them and saw their surprise.

"Tsunade did the best she could for you guys, even with her medical problems. She always hid it from you, but she had a weak heart. Coupled with my absence, her heart finally just gave in to all the grief. She died in her sleep and by the time I got word, it was too late. After Tsunade died, I went into a deep state of depression. I even contemplated killing myself just so I could be with her again. However, I asked myself what would happen to our kids if I died. I knew the answer and refused to allow it. So, instead, I kept watch over you from a far. I have never remarried, nor have I dated. I loved your mother and I will always love her. 'Till death, do we part'." He rubbed his left ring finger nervously. He looked down and saw the gold band that Tsunade had given him when they were married. Tears threatened to form in his eyes and he shook them away.

"I used the money I had saved over the years and invested it. The money I made was put into a trust fund for my children for when they turned 21 and needed it. It's slowly been gathering money from my investments and from the slight interest the account has on it. I still took cases, prosecuted some of the most feared people in the district. I was offered a promotion four years ago. I became the District Attorney for Konoha and I've held the position ever since." He seemed proud of his accomplishment, but Sakura was still in shock. Naruto, however, was as impressed as a teenager.

"Wow…I never realized you were so cool pops!" the blond stared at the older man in awe. Jiraiya smirked and looked at his daughter, whose face was haunted. He held up his hand to Naruto, who stopped abruptly and looked at Sakura as well. Sakura was sniffling and Gaara could feel her tears against his back. He was glaring at both of the males and both had the grace to look sheepish. He turned around and held her to him, whispering words of love to her.

She stopped crying long enough to smile at him and put her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine, Gaara-kun." she reassured him. He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. She smiled at her worried companions and spoke again. "You guys go ahead and go get food. I need to talk to daddy." Naruto nodded and looked at Gaara. Something passed between them and then Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and the two left. Sakura sat up and looked at Gaara imploringly. He nodded and picked her up. He scooted further up on the bed and set her in his lap when he found a comfortable spot. She leaned back against him, as if for support.

"Daddy…take a seat please." Sakura said softly, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. She felt her arms being shifted slightly and looked down to see Gaara positioning her arms in a more comfortable position. She smiled slightly and shook her head. "First off…I want you to know that I love Gaara-kun very much and I have every intention of staying with him. Naruto and I came to the mutual decision to allow Shizune to stay in Mommas house while I stay with him and Gaara-kun at Naruto's house." Jiraiya eyed the red head, but remained silent. He didn't want to piss his daughter off again…she _was_ her mother's daughter after all.

"Alright…I can accept that. As long as you are protected." He saw the smile on Sakura's face and patted himself on the back for saying exactly what she needed, and wanted, to hear. However, as abruptly as her smile came, it left and a haunted look entered her eyes. He shifted nervously…he knew he was not going to like this. She shifted nervously until Gaara nuzzled her shoulder and spoke lightly to her. She sighed and looked away from both of them.

"I…I'm not s-sure…" she took a deep, calming breath and swallowed. She tried again. "Uchiha didn't just beat me up. H-he did something…m-much worse." her voice cracked and she wrapped her cast covered arms around herself tightly. She looked down, her hair curtaining her face. Gaara's head whipped up and met Jiraiya's shocked gaze. They stared at one another for a second before Jiraiya scooted his chair closer and he eased her arms from herself and held her hands.

"Baby girl…tell us what happened so we can help you." he coaxed gently. A heaving sob met him and he felt his heart breaking. He put his hand on her head and kissed the crown, trying to soothe her. He felt the tension easing out of her and glanced at the red head, who was rubbing his face against her neck, soft noises coming from his throat. Jiraiya was amazed at how attuned this young man was to his daughter. He smiled slightly and shook his head.

When she spoke again, her voice was strained, but understandable. "T-the reason we f-fought was because…because he _decided_ w-we should be 'intimate'." she spat it out like it was acid. Gaara's body went still and Jiraiya noticed this. Both men kept quiet as she continued. "I t-told him I didn't w-want to be intimate with him…that h-he wasn't taking my f-feelings into account." Gaara watched her shift her arms, trying to scrub the tears from her face. He carefully pulled her arms away from her face and gently wiped the tears from her face. She rubbed her face in his hands, obviously looking for comfort.

She took another deep breath and let it out. "He accused me of ch-cheating on him. I re-reminded him of w-when he cheated on me w-with Karin. I got angry and broke up with him. I was tired of him being angry with every guy I'm friends with." Jiraiya noticed that her voice was becoming stronger as her resolve to be truthful became stronger. He nodded, having heard from Hinata and Ino about the incident. Jiraiya had wanted to kick the youth's ass, but he had been told to leave it alone.

Obviously, Gaara remembered it too, because he started growling menacingly. However, Sakura didn't flinch away from the red head like Jiraiya had thought she would. Instead, she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at him. The red head blushed and grumbled something and then buried his face in the hair at the nape of her neck. Sakura giggled lightly and shifted a little, making sure they were both comfortable. Jiraiya felt tears burning at the back of his eyes…he and Tsunade had been the same way…

He blinked memories away and smiled at his daughter and the young man in love with her…and he was certain they were in love just by the way they acted. He waited for her to continue. "I told him to get out…that I didn't want to see him anymore. He told me it wasn't that easy, that I couldn't just break up with him. I told him he was wrong and that I _had_ broken up with him. His entire demeanor changed after that and he attacked me. I fought against him, but he's stronger than me. We fought until he tackled me into the oak coffee table I bought at the Farmer's Market two years ago. I was dazed and helpless. He stripped me and started touching me…and that's when I passed out." her voice was small and she couldn't look at them anymore. However, she knew she had to continue.

"When I woke up several hours later, everything hurt. There was blood and semen on the pieces of my coffee table and the carpet. I felt so dirty and so sore…I had to crawl to my bathroom. I scrubbed my skin raw, trying to get him off of me. I managed to pull myself together, dress and cover up the physical evidence that I had been beaten and raped. I went to Naruto's, like we had planned. When I got there, the guys were nearly frantic. Not long after, I passed out. When I woke up, I was here, and Gaara-kun was with me." She smiled sadly up at Gaara, who had a mask over his barely leashed emotions. Sakura knew him well enough to know that he was in turmoil on the inside. She rubbed her face against his shoulder, bringing his attention to her. He held her gently, yet firmly.

Jiraiya was seeing red. He wanted to kill this punk for hurting his baby girl the way he had. However, he would handle this the legal way…even if it was the shady way. He nodded and put his hand under her chin, making her look at him. There were crystal tears in her eyes and his softened as he looked at her. "Baby girl…I _promise _you…he _will _pay for this." He then cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. He stood and looked at Gaara a minute before offering his hand. Gaara looked at it in surprise but shook it soon after. Jiraiya tightened his hold, making Gaara look at him. "You be good to my little girl young man. I want lots of grandchildren." he winked at the red head, who blushed furiously, but nodded regardless. They both heard Sakura giggle and smiled at the girl.

The two males had just finished their hand shake when the door was opened and someone was pushed inside. A tall, dark haired form was sprawled on the floor in front of them, while a tall silver haired man stood in the doorway, blocking the exit. Jiraiya looked at the silver haired man, then at the man on the floor, and then back up at the silver haired man. "What's the meaning of this? Explain yourself." Jiraiya demanded, drawing himself up to his full height. Gaara put his hand on the older man's shoulder, making him stop momentarily.

"Kakashi-san…what's going on?" Gaara asked quietly, looking at the man on the floor. He was moaning as if he were in pain. Gaara recognized the suit and hair…it was that sleazy lawyer, Inomura. Gaara's eyes narrowed and became cold jade orbs.

Kakashi looked at them lazily before pointing at the man on the floor. "Found that one trailing Michi while she was delivering the results of the blood and semen comparison to Shizune. He didn't get a chance to do anything because one of my other officers, Akimichi, met her in the hallway and escorted her there. I watched him for a while, sneaking around this room and pressing his ear to the door. He wrote a couple things down and smiled several times." Kakashi sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"He ran off when Naruto-san and Hinata-san came out. I followed him after greeting Naruto-san and Hinata-san. I took action when he slipped into the lab and tried to steal the rape kit. I managed to stop him from messing with anything, but he has pictures of everything. He was most likely going to photo shop it so it would deny rape, because he was going to take it with him…at least it appeared that way." He watched the two men in the room carefully. Gaara he knew would react angrily, but it was the full blown rage on the white haired man's face that shocked the officer.

"Inomura…you really stepped in it this time. I'm going to hang you out to dry you smarmy bastard." Jiraiya said with a sadistic smirk on his face. Kakashi arched one silver brow at the white haired man, who punched in some numbers in his cell phone. He took on a sweet, charming demeanor then.

"Silvie? It's Jiraiya…Sannin Jiraiya. Yes…thank you. I'm glad to hear that you voted for me to retain my position as D.A. Yes, that's very sweet of you. I'm afraid not…my daughter was assaulted and I've come to support her. Yes, thank you for your concern. I will tell her. Yes, I did need something, Silvie. I need you to call Sarutobi-sama and rest of the council. Yes, that includes Homura-san and Koharu-san. Yes…I have a situation of evidence tampering by a defendants lawyer." Jiraiya rolled his eyes and made faces at Sakura, who giggled lightly. Even Kakashi and Gaara smirked. When the ramble was done, he smiled.

"Thank you very much Silvie. By the way, before I left, Hotono asked me if you were single. I told him that as far as I knew you were. Why don't you ask him for coffee? I'm sure he'd take you up on it." there was a gasped choke on the other end and Jiraiya chuckled at the young woman's surprise. "Take the rest of the day off Silvie. You deserve it. I'll call you when I get back to the office. You're welcome Silvie. Mhm…goodbye." As soon as he flipped the phone closed, his kind disposition left and he stared down at the cringing lawyer dispassionately.

"You slipped up this time Inomura. And this time…you won't get off by intimidating anyone. I'm going to make sure you don't move an inch until I've presented your case before the associate. You are going to lose a lot more than a case now, you piece of--" he was cut off by his daughter clearing her throat. He looked back at her and noticed she was pointing at something. He looked at it and noticed the man was passed out, little swirls for eyes. On top of his head, was Kakashi's foot. As if he'd just woken from a trance, Kakashi blinked rapidly and looked around. He looked down and found his foot planted on the crown of the sleazy lawyer.

"Ops…I guess I was daydreaming. I thought he was a tree stump…I think…" Everyone chuckled as the silver haired officer scratched the back of his head. He smiled at them and bent to put cuffs on the perpetrator. He took the lawyer out while father, daughter, and future son-in-law talked about plans for the future.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Road to Recovery

Five days after Jiraiya came to see them, Sakura and Gaara were living at Naruto's house. Naruto had decided to move in with Shizune, so that he could 'keep and eye on that fella of hers'. Sakura had laughed and asked about Gaara, to which Naruto had simply smiled and said that Gaara would never hurt her. Both had been amazed by his trust, and both had been grateful. It had been rather embarrassing for Sakura to require help for the simplest tasks and she had only been comfortable with Gaara.

Her arms were still in their casts, but she was back to most of her normal activities. She could cook, as long as she didn't pick up the pots. She let Gaara drive her, since she didn't really like driving in the first place. She continued going to classes, despite both Gaara and Naruto to take time off to get better. She had managed to catch up despite missing the larger portion of the quarter. She was making straight A's…just like she always did. Gaara had taken the quarter off so that he could take care of her and go with her to her classes.

News of their relationship had been the talk of the campus. The children from Sakura's Preschool program had been excited to learn their sensei had a nice boyfriend that didn't glare at them. Everyone tried to figure out what kind of relationship they shared, as they were much closer now, but they never gave each other pet names like most couples did. When people asked them if they were dating, they just arched their brows and started laughing. People had stopped asking them after a while, because they'd been intimidated by Gaara's glares.

One day, a girl that was known to have a thing for Gaara walked up to them cautiously. She had heard that Gaara was extremely protective of Sakura and that anyone that upset her, eventually felt his wrath. "Um…Gaara-kun…would…would you like to get coffee with me…later today?" she asked and blushed when he turned blank green eyes to her.

"I'm sorry Matsuri, but I do not think it would be a good idea. I am involved with someone already." Matsuri had looked at him, surprised, and then looked over at the oblivious Sakura, who was talking about her next class…which was in fifteen minutes. Matsuri had nodded and walked away, much to Gaara's relief.

Gaara had arched a brow and looked at Sakura, who had arched a brow at him. "Gaara-kun…who was that?" Gaara had shrugged and put his arm up. Sakura had smiled and walked out of the classroom with him, her things in her backpack, which he was carrying. She had a tape recorder with her, since she couldn't write to take notes. Apparently, the notes Gaara took for her weren't detailed enough and she would always pick through them, telling him what he missed that she felt was important. He had stopped taking notes for her and had given her the tape recorder instead.

She had blushed at him and told him that he'd never liked taking notes and that she didn't mind…as long as he was with her. That had soothed his pride and inflated his ego enough to where he had brightened…at least in her eyes. He still seemed to be the cold, emotionless artist everyone thought him to be. He was never far away from his sketchpad, he had a very punk-rocker sense of style and he could write songs well.

A few days after being home, Sakura had discovered something that had brought tears to her eyes. It had been a sketch of them kissing and there was a poem out beside it. She had asked him if she could have it and he had blushingly agreed. Now, he wrote poems for her, songs about her, he sketched her whenever he could…she was always with him somehow.

What no one knew besides the couple, Naruto, Shizune, and Jiraiya, was that Gaara had proposed to Sakura before they even left the hospital. He had confessed everything in his heart, told her he couldn't live without her, and asked her to be his forever. Sakura had frantically agreed, saying she felt the same. She had sobbed, saying she didn't look very pretty now and how it would be a story to tell their children and grandchildren. Both had laughed and Gaara had told her that no matter what, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

She had a small, simple diamond that rested on the ring finger of her left hand. No one paid any attention to it, and it was better that way. The whole campus had been buzzing with rumors that Sakura was pressing charges against Sasuke for domestic violence. Some of the cattier girls that were obsessed with Sasuke claimed she was lying, or that she deserved it. The first time Gaara had heard the latter, he had pinned the girl to the side of the building by her throat and made her look at Sakura, who still had the bruises on her face and her casted arms strapped to her chest in slings.

"Does it LOOK like she's lying to you!? Does it look like she DESERVED that kind of treatment!?" he had hissed at the petrified girl. The girl hadn't been able to speak, her fear had choked her. Sakura had said his name imploringly and he had let the girl go, only to glare at the rest of them. "If I catch wind you're spreading this venomous bullshit due to your petty jealousies…nothing will save you." he had spat the threat at them and had glared at the one girl and for good measure had hissed "Nothing." The girls had trembled and said nothing else on the matter.

There were no rumors, no gossip. But the inescapable truth was that most of the campus knew that Sakura had been attacked and violently beaten. Many girls flocked to her to talk to her. To ask her advice. A lot had sought therapy, as she had recommended, and several had gone to the police upon her urging. Most people stayed out of the situation, some supported her decision…but some glared and said mean things about her 'supposed' attack. When that happened, Sakura had looked at them with her chin lifted, unwilling to be cowed by their ignorance.

"You know…you aren't even worth my time. I won't lower myself to your level. I'm doing what's right, regardless of what you think." she had told them and walked away, their mouths gagged wide open in shock. She had never stood up to them when they were mean to her…ever. Now, she just looked down on them…as if they were the outcasts. They had carefully observed their surroundings and found they were outcasts. They had stopped talking to Sakura altogether, which had suited the pink haired med student.

Sakura was also in constant contact with her father, who informed her that due to Inomura losing his license and being put on trial himself, Sasuke's trial had been pushed back another two months. Sakura had understood and had thanked her father for his help. He had apologized to her more and she had told him it was fine…it just gave her more time to recover and be able to face him. She had, at Gaara's adamant insistence, sought psychological help while she recovered physically. She had made leaps and bounds in the short time she'd been going. She'd accepted what had happened; had realized it wasn't her fault and that the fault was in Sasuke, and had come to terms with her inner demons.

However, she still stiffened if anyone other than Gaara or her family put their hands on her. Gaara had nearly put her Chemistry lab teacher through the wall of their lab room when he'd put his hand on her shoulder and she'd begun to shake violently. He had kept his hand there, asking if there was anything wrong. When Gaara had calmly told him that she didn't like to be touched, the teacher had glared at him and asked him why he was there. When Gaara had just glared back, the teacher had put his other hand on Sakura. Tears had begun to form in her eyes and it was more than Gaara could take. He had punched the lab instructor in the face, breaking his glasses.

The teacher had been adamant about pressing charges, until Jiraiya had told him that, if he did, he would lose. When asked how this was possible, Jiraiya had pointed to Gaara and said that he was the legal guardian of the young woman he had so listlessly put his hands on and that 'in her delicate mindset' she had felt herself to be in danger from Kabuto's nefarious actions. The lab tech had withdrawn the charges and had been released from his contract with the college on the grounds that he had inappropriately touched a student.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Wedding Bells

It was finally a month and a half after Sakura's release from the hospital that she and Gaara had decided to have their small, quiet wedding. Jiraiya had a friend of his, Sarutobi, perform the wedding for them. They were in Sarutobi's chambers with Naruto and Hinata, Kiba and Ino, and Jiraiya giving away the bride. Sakura had been wearing a simple white strapless sun dress, her pink hair flowing around her shoulders, and a bouquet of orchids in her still casted arms. Most of the bruising on her face had finally gone away and the rest she covered with makeup. She no longer had a limp, since her hips were stronger now as well.

Jiraiya guided her by her elbow up to Gaara, who wore black slacks, a red button down shirt and a white tie. Jiraiya had arched a brow at the young man's choice in clothing, but one look at Sakura's face told him she didn't care if he was in blue jeans and a tank top, as long as he was there. Jiraiya smiled as he carefully removed Sakura's slings so that she could hold hands with Gaara. He took her bouquet and the slings and had stood to Sarutobi's left while he commenced the proceedings of the wedding.

They had happily made their vows, Gaara promising her a big, beautiful wedding when Sasuke's trial was over. Sakura had kissed him lightly and said she didn't want a big wedding…just one filled with love. Jiraiya had understood her wishes…she didn't want a traditional wedding with her mother dead. Gaara seemed to pick up on that as well and had agreed that they didn't need a big wedding, as long as they had each other. Ino and Hinata had cried with Sakura and awed at their vows. Hinata had caught the bouquet, making her blush a deep shade of red when Ino poked her and said she was going to be the next to be married. Ino had already been married to Kiba for a few days now. Sakura had been able to be in the wedding and Ino had been infinitely happy. The three girls had taken a picture together at the reception in their dresses and their faces all reflecting happiness.

When Ino had reminded her that whoever caught the bouquet would be the next to marry, Hinata had looked at Naruto, who had blushed as well. They had smiled, still blushing, and had held hands as Gaara and Sakura put all the paperwork in order. Sakura's name was changed, legally, to Sabaku. However, it was noted that she would only take the name after the trial. Gaara had understood why and had agreed readily with the decision. Sakura hadn't been so sure, but had deferred to her husband.

Gaara, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, Ino, Kiba, Jiraiya, and Sarutobi had all had a quiet dinner at one of the more expensive restaurants in downtown Konoha, Sarutobi's treat. When the small congregation had protested, Sarutobi said it was his wedding gift to the newlyweds. Sakura had blushed and kissed him on the cheek, thanking him. Gaara had shook the old man's hand and nodded.

Later that night, Gaara, Sakura and their friends had headed back to their rural homes, forty-five minutes outside Konoha. Sakura had invited them all to stay for coffee and snacks. Hinata and Naruto had stayed for a bit, talking about old times and their time in high school. They left after an hour and told Ino and Kiba not to keep the newlyweds up all night. Thirty minutes after Naruto had taken Hinata back to his place, Ino had yawned and said they were heading home as well. Sakura had hugged her childhood friends and bade them farewell. She had shut the door and turned to find her husband leaning against the frame of the door that lead to the hall where their bedroom was.

Ever since her attack, Sakura had been afraid to sleep alone. She had started sleeping in the same bed as Gaara, but it had never lead to anything. Tonight, however, was much different. She looked at him with kind eyes and smiled. He smiled at her and held out his hand. She let it snake around her waist and they went to their bedroom. When Gaara shut the door, Sakura climbed up on the bed and looked at him. He could tell she was nervous, but he saw no fear. He was awestruck that after everything she had suffered, she wasn't afraid to be intimate with him.

He slowly took off his shirt and hung it on the chair by their closet. He took his time and slid his pants down and off. He stood before her in his crimson silk boxers. He could see her blushing as she stole glances at his pelvic region. She looked him in the eyes and he could see the longing and the desire. He chuckled lightly and walked over to the bed. He sat on the edge and looked at her.

"Just like every other night, right Sakura-chan?" Her eyes lit up when he said this. He was going to let her come to him. For this, she was infinitely grateful. She ran into their closet and put her thin nightie on. When she had managed to wiggle into it, she walked out to join him in bed. She smiled at her and kissed her lightly on the lips. She sighed and melted against him. She snuggled up against him, like she had many nights before, and sighed in content. She felt him rub her back with his hands, telling her in a low voice how much he loved her. She smiled and buried her face in his shoulder. They fell asleep, just like that.

Sakura awoke the next morning to the sun shining through their cream colored curtains. Her red headed husband snored lightly, his arm still thrown around her. She smiled at him and the patience he had with her. She looked at him and felt a hunger she had never felt before. However, she recognized it for what it was…desire. She desired her husband's touch. She took a deep breath, relishing in her ability to function. She sat up lightly, one strap of her nightie falling down. She left it and leaned over her husband and planted a tender kiss on his slightly parted lips.

She felt him stir and smiled when he groaned against her lips. She started whispering in his ear, making him shift and groan more. She watched as he cracked one jade eye and looked at her. "It's not nice to tease, love." he said huskily. She giggled and laid her body over his, surprising him awake. He turned onto his back with her on top of him and looked up at her.

"I'm not teasing. I…I'm ready to make love to you Gaara-kun." she said shyly. He looked up at her, shocked. However, his shock was soon replaced by desire. He sat up, his arms holding his weight. He soon shifted again, making sure her arms were comfortable. They were still very fragile, though they had been improving greatly since her release.

He gently pushed the straps to her nightie off her shoulders and watched the silky material pool around her shoulders. Her breasts were still hidden from his view, but not for long. He gently pulled the nightie down so that her beautiful breasts were visible to him. When they were younger, her breasts had always made her self conscious. She hadn't developed them until she was sixteen, and when she had…Gaara growled and nuzzled her exposed flesh gently. He heard her gasp and looked up to make sure he wasn't hurting her. The look of pure bliss on her face made him swell. He gently started licking her, listening to her small mewls.

He gently lifted her arms so that they hung over his shoulders. She didn't protest and it gave him better access to her breasts. He licked gently at her rounded flesh, sucked lightly on her nipple. She gasped and arched into him and he smiled against her. Wanting to see all of her, he lightly gripped the edges of her nightie and gently pulled it up and over her head. She gasped and looked at him, her eyes wide and glazed. He smiled at her and ran his hands over her bare body. She moaned and pressed herself against him.

Gaara purred at her…actually purred. He groaned when he felt her core brush him. He laid back so that she was on top of him. She looked at him with hooded eyes and he answered her unasked question. "We go at your pace baby. I'm so excited I might scare you." he husked in her ear. She pulled back and looked at him. There were tears in the corner of her eyes and she smiled at him.

"You're so gentle with me…I love you, Gaara-kun…" she kissed him then, and he could feel her heart in the kiss. He ran his hands around her back, up into her hair. He pressed her head against his as they kissed. He groaned as he felt her rubbing herself along his straining length. She looked down at him, her eyes glazed. "Off…take them off…" she husked at him. He smirked and pushed his boxers down to his knees. When he was able, he used his foot to pull them off all the way. Sakura looked down at him, her eyes wide.

"Wow…" she said breathlessly. He smirked at her and ground his hips against her, making her gasp. She looked up at him, shy. He cocked his head, wondering why she was shy all of a sudden. She answered his questing with the blushing wonder of a virgin. "I…I'm not really…sure…" he leaned up and kissed her gently.

"I'll teach you…" he said huskily. She smiled at him, her blush still obvious. She moaned as he checked to see if she was ready for him. He chuckled when he found her obvious desire for him and whispered huskily to her. "I really turn you on, ne, koi?" He heard her gasp and he chuckled, nuzzling her shoulder. He laid back so that he could see her and slowly, gently moved her to where she should be for him to enter her.

He looked up at her with glazed eyes and she looked back down at him. With a moan, she twitched her hips and he saw stars as he began to enter her. He heard her gasp and looked up at her to see her eyes shut, her mouth open as if to scream. Her breathing was shallow and her heart was thundering. At first, he was worried she was having flashbacks, until she whimpered.

"So…so big…" he smiled and rested his hands on her hips. He felt her hips twitch again and he threw his head back as he slipped a little more into her. She was killing him with her slowness. He groaned and closed his eyes. He could see fireworks behind his eyelids…exploding reds, yellows, whites…He felt her hips twitch again and he couldn't stand it. He pulled down on her hips once and found himself seated deeply in her. Her yelp was the one sign of discomfort, and that had only been in surprise. He looked up at her, his eyes barely slits. His pleasure was skyrocketing…he wanted hers to be the same.

He moved gently once and he heard her gasp. He smirked and moved a little again. She moaned. He held her tightly to him and sat up, making her eyes widen in surprise and her mouth hang open. He kissed her neck, her chin, her chest…anything he could reach. He whispered loving words to her, sharing his pleasure with her. He murmured how good she felt, how beautiful she was, how good she tasted. She blushed and held his head against her breast.

"G-Gaara…" she moaned and massaged his scalp. He growled and twitched his hips upwards. She gasped and he smiled against her breast. He could hear her breathy moans, begging him to keep going…not to stop…to make her feel…real again. He chuckled and started sucking on her nipple while he gently started thrusting into her. She mewled at him, massaging his scalp with vigor now. He moaned and thrust a little harder…a little faster. When neither could stand it any longer, Gaara gently rolled her beneath him. He thrust into her firmly, yet gently. His face was buried against her neck as he made love to her, whispering words of love to her.

After several vigorous thrusts, Sakura arched against him, a scream managing to escape from her mouth while he kissed her. He continued his gentle assault on her body and not too long after yet another impassioned outcry from his young wife, Gaara groaned against her neck, his hips jerking spasmodically. He collapsed atop his small mate and, careful of her arms, gathered her to him. Their lives were forever intertwined…and they wouldn't have it any other way.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Surprise!

Sakura and Gaara had been married, in secret, for about a month when her father had called with disappointing news. Due to a tragedy in the Uchiha family, which had quite a bit of sway, the trial had been pushed back at least another month. When Sakura inquired what had happened, Jiraiya had grunted and said that after finding out the shame Sasuke had brought the Uchiha name, Sasuke's grandfather had suffered a massive heart attack and died.

Sakura winced on his behalf, but reminded herself that it was his own fault. She mourned for the death of the elder Uchiha, but she felt no sympathy for Sasuke. She had started chatting idly about things when a wave of nausea had hit her. She had hiccuped twice and thought nothing of it again. She said goodbye to her father, hung up, and was on her way to pick up her school supplies when she became violently ill on the floor. Gaara had heard and had come running. He helped her tie back her hair and had gotten her a trash can while he cleaned up the mess.

When he asked her what happened, she said it was probably nerves. She told him about the trial being put on hold, yet again, and the circumstances. He told her exactly what she had told herself and she just smiled at him. "I know, Gaara-kun. I told myself that as well." she kissed his cheek and reached for her school stuff. She groaned and threw up on the trash can again. Worried, Gaara had phoned a doctor. The doctor said for her to stay in bed for the day, but Sakura refused.

"Gaara-kun…I have one class today. I refuse to miss it over a case of the nerves." Gaara had narrowed his eyes, but in the end, he had relented. She was now able to use her arms a little better, the slings were no longer needed. The casts were still there, to prevent further damage to the healing bones, but other than that she was almost back to normal. Since he didn't have any classes today, he decided to go to class with his wife. He sat in the back with her as the instructor went through a detailed description of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. Gaara cringed at the thought and hoped Sakura would never have to go through such pain.

When class let out, Sakura looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. "Gaara-kun…I'm hungry…" she said quietly. He looked at her and nodded. She hadn't eaten anything since the nausea episode that morning. He took her to a small restaurant on campus and they ordered a lunch special. Feeling slightly sick again, she ordered jasmine tea with hers. Gaara had water. When their food came, Sakura carefully ate hers, trying to avoid another bout of nausea. Gaara noticed how slowly she was eating, but said nothing.

When she was done, she smiled at their waitress and asked if they had a restroom. The waitress pointed the way and Sakura slowly walked to it. Gaara arched a brow, if he had a brow if would have arched, and stealthily followed her. He didn't hear the sounds of heaving, but he did hear water running. He turned and went back to their table just in time to see his smiling wife come out of the restroom. She was halfway to him when she stopped and arched a brow. She quickly went back to the restroom and a few minutes later, a frustrated Sakura came back out.

"What's wrong, koi?" he asked quietly. Sakura sat down and waved her hand in front of her face. He arched a brow at her and she giggled.

"I thought I had to go to the bathroom, but I couldn't go. When I came back out, I had to go again, only this time I actually had to go." Gaara narrowed his eyes on the tea and then looked at her.

"Your tea could have something to do with that. You always have to go to the bathroom more after you drink it." Sakura giggled at him and grabbed his hand under the table. He blushed lightly, but said nothing. He held her hand, but blocked it from view with his long legs. His baggy blue jeans hid them from prying eyes.

"You worry too much, Gaara-kun. I'm sure this will all pass after the trial." She smiled at him again and he felt his heart soar. He loved it when she smiled. He smirked at her and took a sip of his water. When the waitress came back with their bill, Gaara left enough cash to cover the bill and leave a decent tip and they walked out together.

For two weeks, things were normal. Sakura had a few more waves of nausea, but she attributed it to nerves. She went to class, helped around the Preschool, and came home. She was a little more tired than normal, but she attributed _that_ to the nightly activities she had with her husband. She smiled and blushed whenever she thought of Gaara nowadays. However, on the third week, Gaara woke to the sounds of Sakura vomiting in the bathroom. He rushed in and pulled her hair back, rubbing her neck, her shoulders, her back, anything to soothe her.

She wiped her mouth when she was done and flushed the toilet. She stood, with Gaara's help, and brushed her teeth. When Gaara recommended that she get back in bed, she hadn't the energy to argue. Concerned, Gaara helped her into bed and then called Naruto. When he told Naruto what was going on, and the fact that Sakura refused to see a doctor, Naruto told him he'd call him back. Gaara laid in bed with his young wife, who seemed to seek him no matter where on the bed he was, and waited for Naruto to call back. His cell phone vibrated and he opened it.

"Hai?" Naruto was unusually quiet and told Gaara he had called Sakura's nurse friend, Michi, and that the young nurse was on her way over to check on Sakura. Gaara thanked him and told him bye. When he hung up, he started stroking Sakura's hair. He noticed her face go lax and knew she was sleeping deeply. He got up and worked on his homework for the few classes he was taking this quarter and watched his wife sleep.

He had just finished his homework and was putting it away when there was a light knock on the door to their home. Not wanting it to wake Sakura, Gaara had hurdled the Hope Chest Sakura kept in their room and had run out to answer the door. He was slightly winded when he made it down the hall and to the door. He opened it to find the young nurse that had been so kind to them in the hospital.

"Good morning, Sabaku-san. Is Sakura-chan here? Naruto-san said she wasn't feeling well and that you were worried about her." Gaara moved aside so that Michi could come in. The young nurse smiled and came in, making her way to the couch. She had a small notebook and a pencil. "Alright, Sabaku-san…what are her symptoms and when did they start?"

Gaara crossed his arms and thought about it. "The only thing so far is nausea really. And she's had to use the bathroom a lot lately. The nausea started about…three weeks ago?" he tried to remember, but it was a little fuzzy. The bliss of having Sakura for his wife seemed to take up all his available brain cells. He watched surprise flit over Michi's face and then the young nurse blushed. She looked at him and he wondered what she was thinking.

"I'm terribly sorry to have to ask you this, Sabaku-san, but…have you and Sakura-chan been…you know…" she tried to skirt the issue, but Gaara stared blankly at him. She blushed and closed her eyes, not believing she was asking this. "Have you and Sakura been…intimate?" She opened one eye to find him staring at her in shock.

"Intimate…how?" he asked carefully. Michi sighed and fiddled with her notebook.

"Have you and Sakura…been…sexually intimate with one another?" Gaara felt his mouth fall open and he looked at the young nurse with such shock she was sure she'd die of embarrassment. However, a groggy voice answered her.

"Yes, Michi, we have." Gaara turned to see his pale young wife leaning against the door frame. Gaara was instantly by her side, helping her to the couch. Michi got up and sat by her, concern in her eyes.

"Sakura-chan…you look sick. Why didn't you call me?" Sakura gave a light laugh and waved her hand. She looked up at her husband adoringly.

"It's nothing but nerves. Gaara-kun worries too much." Gaara grunted and sat behind his wife, allowing her to lean back against him. Michi narrowed her eyes as she noticed the slight swell to Sakura's abdomen.

"No, Sakura-chan. I think Gaara-san's right. You need to see a doctor." Sakura waved her hand again and dismissed Michi's words.

"There's nothing wrong-" she didn't get to finish because Michi poked her in the forehead. Sakura looked at Michi's face, which had a stern frown.

"You're right…there's nothing WRONG with you…it's actually very RIGHT." Michi smiled and looked at Gaara, who was a little wary now. "Congratulations you two…you're going to be parents." Gaara and Sakura both sat there, dumbfounded. Sakura opened her mouth several times and then closed it. She looked up at Gaara with wide, frightened eyes. Gaara just stared at Michi, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He felt Sakura tugging at his shirt and he looked down at her.

The fear and insecurity in her eyes galvanized him to action. He pulled her close, careful of her stomach, and whispered encouragement and reassurances in her ear. He told her how much he loved her and that he would be with her, no matter what. Michi stood and gave the two a stern look.

"I want you to bring Sakura-chan in for a check, TODAY. I want to be sure that she's pregnant and its not just nerves, like she's so sure of. But from the swell of her abdomen, and the symptoms you're describing, I'd say its safe to assume she's pregnant." Sakura looked up at Michi and Michi smiled at her.

"Congratulations, Sakura-chan!" Michi squealed and hugged her friend. Sakura smiled as it sank it…she was going to be a mother…and Gaara was going to be a father…Sakura looked back at Gaara, whose eyes were shining with excitement.

"We have to call daddy!" she said and got to her feet. Gaara followed her frantic bolt into their bedroom with a lazy stride. He watched his excited pink haired wife search frantically for her phone. When she found it, she rushed over to him.

"Koi…don't you think we should wait until the doctors confirm it?" he asked lazily. Sakura stopped and looked back at him. He had a point…Sakura smiled and went to their closet. She threw on some comfortable blue jeans, a bra and one of Gaara's red button down shirts. Gaara smiled at her enthusiasm. He was excited as well, but he would show his another way. He walked in, got dressed, and waited for his wife in their living room. While he waited, he went to the room that used to be his, until Naruto moved out. The walls were beige, just like most of the house. He noticed that the carpet was ripped in places and needed to be replaced. He mentally listed the things that would need to be changed and/or fixed. He looked out the door and found it was three paces from their own room. This pleased him.

He walked out and shut the door, his thoughts on what needed to be done to the room before the arrival of their baby. He smiled at the thought and was still smiling when Sakura came in, ready to go. He put his arm around her and they walked out to Gaara's car. Michi got in hers and pulled out far enough to where they could back out and she could follow them. They went to the clinic and Michi was able to persuade them it was an emergency. A female doctor came in, an ultrasound machine behind her.

Sakura bit her lip and looked up at Gaara. The kind woman doctor smiled gently and asked if this would be their first child, should it be a child. Sakura nodded, as well as Gaara. The doctor smiled and looked at Michi. "Take a blood sample, just in case. It's better to be absolutely sure than to get their hopes up." Michi nodded and prepared Sakura for the procedure. Sakura laid back, her hand still in Gaara's. Gaara sat with her head in his lap and stroked her cheek.

When Michi had enough, she put a band aid over the small puncture and left to take the blood for the tests. About a nerve wracking half hour later, Michi came back, all smiles. "It's positive…you're going to have a baby!" Sakura gasped and looked up at Gaara, who had a smug smile on his face. Sakura threw her arms around Gaara and kissed him. He held her to him and whispered how much he loved her.

The doctor chuckled at them and asked them if they wanted to see the baby. Sakura had emphatically agreed and had laid down, waiting for the cold jelly. The doctor had laughed again and proceeded to turn on the machine and get it ready. When she had the paddle on Sakura's stomach, she pushed it around, looking for what only the trained eye would be able to find.

With a smile, the doctor pointed out the very tiny, almost invisible fetus. Sakura stared, wide eyed. Gaara just watched in awe. When the doctor had finished, she cleaned up her mess and left. Sakura sat there, staring at Gaara. Gaara reached down, kissed her, and smiled while telling her everything would be alright. Excitedly, she punched in her father's number. It was answered on the third ring.

"Jiraiya here." came her father's deep, clear voice. Sakura could barely contain herself. She put him on speaker and curled up next to Gaara.

"Daddy!?" she asked with barely concealed excitement. She felt the pause and then the change that came over her father. He seemed slightly worried.

"What's wrong baby girl? You sound…different." Sakura giggled and buried her face in Gaara's shoulder. Her excitement was getting the better of her. Gaara chuckled at her and told her to stop being silly. She pouted at him and put her father on video phone. She noticed it took him several seconds to realize what was happening. He noticed the medical equipment behind them and she saw his face darken.

"Daddy…I have a surprise for you!" she smiled bigger, if that was possible. Gaara shook his head and looked into the video feed. What came next almost gave him a heart attack.

"Surprise…you're going to be a grandfather." Gaara said with a smile. Sakura was beaming up at her husband as Jiraiya froze. He stared at the video feed like it had just skipped the audio portion.

"What?" he asked in a dazed voice. Sakura smiled at him, happiness in her eyes. He stared at her, not quite believing what she was obviously trying to tell him.

"I'm having a baby, Daddy! Isn't it wonderful!" she squealed and hugged Gaara again. The young red head looked about like Jiraiya felt…completely dazed. But his young son-in-law's eyes were filled with love and there was a smile on his face. Jiraiya let it sink in for a few seconds and then he smiled at his daughter.

"My baby is having a baby…well that IS a surprise." he chuckled and got up. He grabbed his jacket and his keys and walked out the door of his office. Silvie, his young secretary, jumped. She saw her boss's face and asked him what was going on. He turned back to her and smiled.

"My daughter's pregnant. I'm going to see her." He threw his jacket on and made his way down the four flights of stairs, instead of taking the elevator. He burst out into the mid morning sunshine and smiled up. "That's right, honey…our baby is pregnant." he said to the crystal blue sky. The sun brightened for a second and Jiraiya laughed. He knew that his deceased wife knew and felt joy.

Jiraiya looked back at the feed and heard his daughter laughing, joy in her light voice. He managed to get her attention again and smiled at her. "That's the best damn surprise I've had in a long time." Sakura giggled and hugged her husband again. Gaara just smiled and kissed her gently. Jiraiya smiled and said goodbye and that he'd see her soon. He just loved surprises.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Baby Talk

After the surprise phone call to her dad, Sakura had called her old house. Naruto had picked up and asked why she was so giddy. She had told him to put her on video phone, which he'd done. When everyone had gathered around, meaning Naruto, Hinata, Shizune, and Genma, Sakura had told them she was pregnant. Naruto had fallen off his stool, while Shizune and Hinata had squealed in excitement.

When Naruto managed to pick himself up off the floor, he had smiled at her and congratulated them. Gaara had smiled and blushed when Sakura continually hugged him and giggled in excitement. Naruto had laughed at his friend and told him when the mood swings started, he'd buy the red head a cup. Sakura had stuck her tongue out at her foster brother and told him she would never be so mean to Gaara.

Gaara had merely smiled and put his hand on her head, assuring her that she was his angel. Sakura had smiled and cuddled up to him, suddenly tired. Gaara had told them he was taking Sakura home and he would call them later. Naruto had laughed and said goodbye. Hinata had blushed when Naruto smirked at her and rushed forward to hug her. "I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!" he had shouted and danced around the kitchen, Hinata in his arms. Everyone had laughed at his glee for a while, then gone about their own business.

Gaara had driven home, the sleeping Sakura in the seat beside him, with a similar mindset. _'I'm going to be a father…'_ he repeated in his head over and over and over. His smile never wavered and they were soon home. When they got there, there was a black car in the driveway. Gaara arched a brow at it, but smiled when he saw smirking Jiraiya leaning on the hood. He pulled in and parked, shutting the engine off. After pushing himself out, he went around to the other side and pulled his small wife into his arms. He handed Jiraiya the keys and had him unlock the house.

Gaara went in and went straight to their bedroom. He laid his sleeping wife down and covered her with a light blanket. He kissed her gently and walked out of their bedroom, pulling the door almost shut. He walked out into the living room and was greeted by his smiling father-in-law. Gaara smiled sheepishly and looked back where his wife was resting.

"I take it that you're excited?" Jiraiya asked, his smile getting bigger when Gaara blushed. The smile never faltered though. Gaara only nodded and looked back where Sakura was resting. Jiraiya laughed and sat with his son-in-law to discuss improvements on what Gaara had dubbed the 'baby room'. Jiraiya listened to Gaara's ideas on changes that could be made and was surprised at how architecturally sound his creative ideas were.

There was only one problem. "You do realize that now that you have a baby on the way, the trial with Sasuke is going to be that much more stressful. By the time Sakura can get on the stand to testify, she'll probably bell well into her third or fourth month." Gaara nodded, the smile leaving his face for the first time all day. He looked at his Jiraiya with a smirk.

"We can use this to trap him. If he thinks the kid is his, he'll try and get it. All we have to do is make it seem like she's further along than she is." Jiraiya was dumbfounded…and impressed. He'd never thought of that before. He smirked at his son-in-law and chuckled.

"That's a very smart thing to try. Now we just have to hope and pray Sakura is one of those types that gets big quick." Gaara arched a brow at his wife's father. Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry…just start taking her baby shopping. She'll be content with that…for a while." Gaara gulped and looked back into the hallway that led to his pregnant wife. He sighed.

"This is going to be a very long nine months." but even as he said it, he smiled, looking up at the ceiling. Jiraiya noticed and smiled again. Perhaps he loved Sakura enough to put up with it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 9: The Plan

Sakura had continued with her classes, only now Hinata was with her all the time. She never went anywhere without someone being with her. Most of the time Gaara was with her, but he also had his own classes. She missed him, but she also knew that in order to carry out their plan, she couldn't be stuck to him all the time.

Three weeks had passed since she found out she was pregnant and she had already started to show. She had morning sickness almost every morning now, but it only lasted fifteen minutes. She complained about having to buy maternity clothes already and she was only a little over two months pregnant. She had decided that she liked soft stretchy pants instead of blue jeans and tops that fit at her bust and flowed loosely below that.

Hinata was often seen buying comfy clothes for her, as well as Ino and Shizune. Naruto often bought baby toys to give to her and Gaara was seen buying paint, wood, new carpet, and several other home improvement items. Gaara and Sakura hadn't had to wait long until word of her pregnancy had spread around campus. Most people stayed out of it, like usual, but there were still those who speculated who the father was. Some speculated it was Gaara, being as he was always around her. Others said it wasn't possible, because they looked at each other like siblings.

There was one person on campus that hoped this was true. She had become bitter since Gaara had turned her down and now maliciously spread rumors about Sakura. It was through her that the seed of speculation was started. Matsuri, the girl Gaara had turned down for coffee, had walked into the library one day while Gaara, Sakura, Ino and Hinata had been in there studying. Matsuri had smiled cruelly at the pregnant Sakura and had leaned over to her friends, pretending to be whispering.

"See…I told you. She's pregnant with the Uchiha's kid! I heard from some friends that they dated since high school and that they were terribly promiscuous. He knocked her up and then beat her up trying to get rid of the evidence." Matsuri snickered with her little friends and looked over to see Gaara glaring at her. She had gulped and waved at him. Gaara had stood up and walked over to them, his eyes cold. Matsuri, who had heard about Gaara pinning the girl to the side of the school, paled visibly.

When he was right in front of her, he leaned down till he was inches from her face. "Why don't you take you vicious opinions and rumors elsewhere, Matsuri. You are upsetting Sakura-chan. In her condition, it's not good for her to get upset." Matsuri had nodded and left quickly, before Gaara acted on his impulse and pounded her into the ground. Before they left however, Gaara heard one of the other girls speak up.

"You notice he didn't deny it. He knows it's Sasuke's kid." Gaara tensed, but at the imploring eyes of his upset young wife, he returned to their table and covertly comforted her. He knew that this is what they had wanted to happen…to make Sasuke believe it was his child to force a confession from him…but he had no idea it would be this hard to not be able to claim the child his own.

A folded sheet of paper laid on top of his workbook had him snapping back to reality. He looked at Sakura, who looked happy and serene and then at the paper. He picked it up and smiled at what it said.

_We both know they're wrong…don't let it bother you. Oh, and can we get ice cream on the way __home?_

Gaara chuckled lightly and shook his head. He put down yes for the second part and gave it back to her. She smiled at him and gripped his hand under the table. He squeezed hers back and then let go so he could finish studying.

After the library incident, the rumor that Sakura was carrying Sasuke's child reached even Jiraiya's office. When Silvie had asked him about it, he had merely stared at her like she was repeating old news. "Don't you remember I told you she was pregnant?" was all he had said. She had gasped and nodded, feeling sheepish at not putting two and two together. Jiraiya had turned away from her and smiled. Perfect…now to make sure that word got to the Uchiha in question.

Jiraiya picked up the phone and called an old 'friend' of his. "Itachi…yes, it's good talk to you again as well. Listen, I need you to do something for me. I just received word that my daughter is pregnant. Thank you very much. The only problem is…rumor has it that it's Uchiha Sasuke's child." there was a long pause and Jiraiya smirked, knowing that the wheels had been set into motion. Itachi was going to lay into his brother for getting a girl pregnant…much less the District Attorney's daughter.

"No…but he is up on charges for assaulting my daughter. Beat her up pretty badly. No…I don't think so. From what she says it wasn't consensual. I just want to know if the child really is his. I know that is the same thing as a confession. No, I just want to know if he's going to take care of it or if I should go ahead and draw up the paperwork for him to give up all claims to the child. Alright, well, let me know something, okay? Thanks, you too." Jiraiya grinned evilly. That bastard was going to pay for what he did to Sakura…oh yes he was.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Visitors

It had been almost a month since Jiraiya called Itachi and set the wheels in motion. That put her at a little over three months pregnant. Gaara pitied his petite wife. She was only a little over three months, but she looked almost six months. He vaguely wondered if she was carrying more than one baby in that big belly of hers. The morning sickness had gone away, but now the cravings had started. Luckily, she craved two things and they didn't have to be together: ice cream and beef dumplings.

Gaara knew she had to be miserable, but she hardly ever complained. The few times she did, he would do something sweet for her. Once she had complained about her feet hurting, so Gaara had massaged them for her until she fell asleep. Another time, she had sniffled and prayed she wouldn't get stretch marks. Since then, he had taken to rubbing cocoa butter all over her body for her. He enjoyed this almost as much as she did. It had become a ritual of sorts. After a soak in the tub, Gaara would help her out, dry her off, and rub her body down with cocoa butter. The only other thing she had ever complained about was not being able to be affectionate to him in public. He had kissed her on the nose and told her it wouldn't be much longer until they would catch Sasuke in his own arrogance and then they could show the world their love. Sakura had smiled and fallen asleep in his arms, whispering about showing their love to the whole world.

Gaara had also learned to cook healthy foods. Sakura had taught him ways to make cooking healthy, and Michi had sent a cookbook home with him when they went for Sakura's most recent checkup. Sakura had gone to the doctors about her arms, which were still in the casts from her attack. They had told her that a few more weeks in the casts and they would be confident in putting the still fragile appendages in braces. Sakura had smiled and rested her arms over her belly. The doctors had smiled at her calmness and had congratulated her on her pregnancy. She had smiled, thanked them kindly, and allowed Gaara to take her home.

Once there, she had taken a nice hot bath and the ritual of the cocoa butter had commenced. When Sakura was sleeping peacefully, Gaara had gone into what would be the baby's room and had quietly ripped up most of the carpet. He had already fixed the wiring issues, replaced the sockets with baby safe ones, fixed all the trimming, replaced the windows (which he had done for the whole house), and replaced the door. All that was left now was the new carpet, the paint, the furniture, and then the baby itself. After a good amount of work in the baby room, Gaara had showered, dressed in his nightclothes, and laid down beside his beautiful wife. He had pulled her to him and buried his nose in her soft, slightly damp, hair.

They had woken to the sound of someone knocking on the door. Gaara, irritated at being woken up, had gone to the door and glared at the man standing on the other side. "What the hell are you doing here at six in the morning?" he had hissed, his mood foul. The man before him had looked at him, a piece of paper in his hand, and then back at him.

"Haruno Sakura?" the man had asked uncertainly. Gaara had stiffened and narrowed his eyes on the man.

"Why are you looking for her? Are you one of the doctors she's been seeing about the baby?" Gaara was suspicious. If this was one of the doctor's people, they would have called her Sabaku. The man cleared his throat and motioned to the limo behind him. Gaara had stepped out, shut the door behind him, and gone over to the limo. The window had rolled down to reveal a richly dressed man with long black hair and aristocratic features. His face was instantly recognizable. "Uchiha." Gaara spat. He turned to walk away when the man called him back.

"Why are you in Haruno-san's home? You are not her foster brother." Gaara froze and turned around to look at the man. His green eyes bored into the man's black ones.

"I'm her best friend. It's my house and she lives with me. She's afraid to be alone after she was attacked. Sakura and I grew up together…her mom took me in when I was twelve." Gaara made it sound like he was a strictly neutral party. The man seemed content with this. He looked around.

"Where is Haruno-san's car? Surely she has one." Gaara glared at the man, who just arched a brow.

"In case you hadn't heard, she was attacked by Uchiha Sasuke. He didn't leave much of her body unharmed. Her arms are still in casts from the attack. She can't use them…it's part of the reason she lives with me. I take care of her." the man sniffed and looked ahead.

"I would like to talk to her. Do you know where she is?" Gaara gave him a deadpan look.

"She's with her brother. She's been gone since early yesterday." the man nodded and looked at him again, this time speculatively.

"Could you perhaps give me the address to her brother's home?" Gaara arched a brow and smirked inwardly…Naruto would have fun with this guy. He nodded and wrote it down. When the limo left, Gaara called Naruto.

"Hey Naruto…yeah, sorry, I know it's early. Guess who just showed up at my house. No, I wouldn't be calling you, the police would. No, it was Itachi…Sasuke's big brother. He asked if Sakura was here and I told him she was with you since early yesterday. Yeah, I figured you'd want a crack at him. Try not to wake everyone up, okay? Just make it plain that Sakura doesn't want to talk to him, or anyone else in their family. They shouldn't be trying to contact her anyway…not this soon before the trial." Gaara yawned and made his way back to his house. He opened the door, shut and locked it, and then went back to his bedroom. He said goodbye to Naruto and hung up before crawling back into bed with his wife.

Fifteen minutes later, he could have sworn he heard Naruto yelling at Itachi to get his so and so off their property. Gaara chuckled and snuggled back up to his wife, who was blissfully oblivious to what was going on.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Accusations

Sakura was in the middle of her Anatomy class when a man in a black suit came in and talked to the teacher. The teacher pointed to her and the man walked over to her. He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to face him.

"Haruno Sakura?" the man asked. Sakura nodded and looked at Hinata, who stood close to her side. They had managed to make it to where Hinata shared the exact same schedule as Sakura. The man nodded and looked around. "I need you to come with me. Someone wants to speak with you." Sakura turned frightened eyes to Hinata, who put her hand on the pink haired girl's shoulder.

"She's not going with you. You have no right to be here and we are in the middle of class. If you want to talk to her, you will have to wait until our class is over and her guardian comes." Hinata glared at the man. He seemed nervous of Hinata's authoritative tone. He nodded and took a seat at the back of the classroom. Forty-five minutes later, their class had ended. Hinata had helped Sakura from her chair and they had walked towards where Gaara always met them. The man n black followed. When they got there, Gaara, Kiba, Ino, Naruto, and, surprisingly, Jiraiya was there.

The man in black stopped dead and stared at Jiraiya, who looked mad enough to kill. He walked up to the man and removed his sun glasses. "Good to see you again Terri. Now, care to tell my why you are following my daughter around?" the man looked really nervous now and looked away.

"Look, I'm just doing my job. I'm clean now. I was hired to drive her to the jail and to drive her back. That's IT." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and he looked at Sakura. Sakura looked frightened.

"And who hired you, pray tell?" the man looked even more nervous now. He looked around and leaned in to speak to Jiraiya.

"Uchiha Itachi wanted me to take her to the prison so that Sasuke could ask her about the baby. Sasuke swears it ain't his. Itachi says that Sasuke is just trying to hide from the truth. He thinks if Sasuke sees her pregnant, he'll come to his senses." Jiraiya nodded and then looked at Sakura, who shook her head. Jiraiya looked at the man with hard eyes.

"A word of advice, Terri…stay the hell away from my daughter. Unless you want to end up a bunk mate to Uchiha Sasuke." the man nodded and then left, not looking back. Sakura sighed and looked at her father.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Daddy." Gaara stopped her. He cupped her cheek and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, koi. One more month and it will all be over." Sakura searched hi eyes and then nodded. Gaara allowed her to hug him and he rubbed the top of her head with his chin. She sighed and nodded against his chest. "One more month and all the accusations in the world wont be able to renounce us." he whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Preparation

Sakura was almost five months when Jiraiya called her, his voice grim. "They've decided to hold the trial this Thursday. They've had it in the planning stages for the last few months and I guess the Uhichas realize they can't put it off anymore. I'll come pick you and Gaara up. You can stay with me until the trial is over, that way you don't have to drive back and fourth to your house." Sakura thanked him and called to Gaara. She handed him the phone and Jiraiya gave him the same rundown. When Gaara hung up, he walked slowly to where his large, pregnant wife was.

Sakura had refused an ultrasound since the first one because she said she wanted the surprise. While Gaara hadn't agreed, he had conceded to her wishes. In the last few months, he had put down new carpet in the baby room, painted it a soothing color with stencils of baby animals, and had baby proofed the whole house. Sakura had giggled at his extra caution, but said nothing more.

Gaara kissed her forehead and asked her if she needed help packing. She smiled sweetly and told him that would be wonderful. However, he could tell she was scared. It had been a little over six months since she had lain eyes on her ex. Six months of pure bliss for her. Gaara could understand her fear, but at the same time, he admired her determination. And he told her so. He kissed along the back of her neck, praising her. She blushed and smiled at him. She said a quiet thanks and he smiled, resting his hands on her enlarged belly.

"Everything will be fine, Koi. We will get through this…together." He kissed the back of her neck and nuzzled the side of her face. She giggled and turned in his arms, her large belly between them.

"I know, Gaara-kun. It's just…I don't ever want anything to come between us. You know Sasuke will say horrible things to try and drive us apart. I have always been honest with you…I have told you everything that was between Sasuke and I. You have always told me the truth and I trust you." Gaara smiled and kissed her on the lips. He, too, realized that Sasuke would try and say things that would drive them apart. The one thing that Sasuke didn't know was that Sakura had ALWAYS told him the truth…no matter how embarrassing or how horrible it was.

Gaara kissed her lips lightly and smiled at her. "Let's get our bags packed. Your dad will be here in a bit and we don't want to make him wait, now do we?" Sakura giggled at him and he helped her into their bedroom. They packed enough clothes to last them a few weeks, all their toiletries, and a few miscellaneous items that comforted Sakura. They were sitting in the large, overstuffed leather armchair that was their favorite when a horn blew outside. Gaara gently helped her to get up and then stood himself. He picked up the larger bags and allowed her to grab her favorite comforter.

Jiraiya was waiting, his trunk popped. When Sakura came out carrying Tsunade's hand made comforter, he had froze, then smiled gently. He had helped her into the backseat of his air conditioned town car and then helped Gaara load the luggage into the trunk. When everything was in, Gaara shut the trunk and walked around to the opposite side of the car Sakura was on. He slid into the back seat with her and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep, the comforter wrapped loosely around her.

Forty-five minutes later, Gaara was gently kissing his wife, trying to wake her up. She opened one tired, emerald eye and smiled up at him. He smiled back and told her they were at her father's house. She stretched delicately and sat up. Gaara was on her side of the car and helping her out before she could blink. She smiled at him…he was so thoughtful and caring. She stood, her comforter in her arms, and stretched slightly. She looked up at her father's house and gaped a bit. It was so BIG. She looked at Gaara, who chuckled at her, and then at her father, who was smiling indulgently.

"I have a pool you can lounge around in. I'm sure the water will go a long way to alleviate the soreness." Sakura smiled and went up to her father, hugging him. He placed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled.

"Thank you Daddy. I know this is hard for you, what with momma being gone, but I want you to know that this means a lot to me." She felt her father stiffen and then relax with a shuddering sigh.

"Baby girl…you are so much like your mother…it's like seeing her again as a young woman." He put his hand on top of her head and smiled at her. "But you're NOT your mother. You've got the same personality, but you're different from her…softer. She was a tough one, she was. You have a strength that is uniquely you. Just like she did." Sakura smiled up at him, her tears hiding behind her thick lashes. She walked over to Gaara, who simply held her. After a few minutes, Sakura was feeling better and they were walking to their rooms.

Jiraiya made sure that Sakura didn't have to go up and down any steps and that the pool and kitchen were not far from her. He also made sure she had a bathtub to soak in. Gaara had laid on their bed and stared up at the ceiling, listening to his wife rummage through their luggage. She had produced a two piece suit that didn't hide her tummy, but highlighted it. She came out in it and Gaara couldn't help but smile. He went up to her and put his hand on her stomach reverently. She smiled up at him, a blush on her face. He smiled back and crouched in front of her.

He kissed her distended belly gently and caressed it. Finally, he started talking to it. "Little one…it's your daddy speaking. Can you hear me? Do you know how much your mommy and I love you?" he said gently, nuzzling the side of her large belly. Sakura was smiling at him and it made him feel warm inside. He stood and took her hand. They walked to the pool together, Gaara helping her down the slippery steps of the pool. When they were in, he could see the relief on her face. It was like she weighed nothing. He observed her and finally decided that when this was over, he was going to make sure she had a pool.

His brow scrunched as a thought struck him…tuition was going to go up by the time their child was born. How would being married and having a child affect their student loans? He took one look at her face and decided that he didn't care…as long as he had her, nothing else mattered. However, there was one thing he was going to do before time ran out. He climbed out of the water and went to their towels, where his cellphone was. He dialed a number and it was answered on the third ring.

"Hello? Yes, this is Sabaku Gaara. You called me several weeks ago about a job opening. No, I'm still a student, but I have found myself in a situation where I need a job as well as going to school. Yes. Yes. Thank you for understanding. I will call you ass soon as I can. Thank you very much. You too. Goodbye." Gaara closed his phone and took a deep breath. At least that was down. Now he just had to get through school. Gaara looked back at Sakura, who looked infinitely content in the water. He smiled and made his way over to her. He sat on the side of the pool and rubbed her belly from where he sat. She smiled up at him.

"Koi…I think you should take next quarter off." He said gently. He knew she was not going to be happy about it, but he also knew that she wasn't stupid. There was no way she could finish the upcoming quarter before the baby arrived. He saw her eyes start to sparkle.

"I want to finish, Gaara-kun. Two more quarters and I can start my clinics over at the hospital where Michi works!" Gaara held up his hand and she quieted, though he could tell she didn't want to. He began to explain to her why he wanted her to take the quarter off.

"Koi, next quarter, tuition will go up. With us having been married in the middle of this quarter, we aren't sure how that and a baby on the way will affect our student loans. We need to research this before either of us go back to school. I just called Maramour back. They called me with a job offering several weeks ago. I'm going to take them up on it after the trial so we can get a good line of credit established. I want you to be able to take care of our child." he watched the emotions that played across her face and he smiled at her. He slipped into the water and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"If things pan out and the baby is born before too much of the next quarter is over, I will help you get in. But I really think that right now it's best to think about what's best for our child." He nuzzled the back of her neck, which had little wet strands running down it from where her bun had gotten wet. She made a pouting noise and looked at him petulantly.

"I think we should wait to see what happens after the trial. I'm only five months, that means I have at least four more months before this baby is going to come. This trial may take around six weeks…that's what daddy told me. I want to go ahead and schedule a LIGHT schedule. Maybe two to three classes. I think a few online classes wouldn't be too hard, ne?" Gaara conceded to her point and smiled at her.

"I think a few online classes should be okay. As long as it's nothing too hard and it wont affect you or the baby in a bad way." Sakura smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. She then went back to floating on her back. Gaara sighed…she always seemed to get her way somehow or another. "How is it that I always seem to give in to you?" he groused, not really meaning anything by it. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with love.

"Because you love me…and besides, you like giving me what I want. As long as its not bad for me or the baby." he watched her dive delicately under the water and then come back up. Her face showed pure bliss. Her overheated body was being soothed and the ache of the baby weight was being eased. He smiled at her again and shook his head. He followed after her, watching her intently. He had just caught up with her when Jiraiya came through the door, his face that of a D.A. There were several people trailing after him and they paused when they saw Sakura in the pool. Her large, distended belly was visible and she blushed self consciously. She moved behind Gaara, who glared at the men.

"Jiraiya…why are those men here? You know Sakura's terrified of men." he growled. He had seen the looks they all gave his young wife and none of them had mirrored innocence. Jiraiya seemed to come out of a daze and looked behind him. Hes face became red and his eyes dark.

"I did NOT invite you into my home. GET OUT! All of you!" the men looked shocked, but one was dumb enough to speak up.

"But sir, the trial is only days away. We have to be present in order to adequately comprehend the situation." the other men backed away from the man that had spoken. NO ONE talked back to the D.A. Not if they wanted to keep their jobs. Jiraiya's eyes flashed.

"This _situation_ as you have so aptly named it happens to be MY DAUGHTER. If she wants you to know the circumstances of her _situation_ she can tell you on your free time. You are all still on the clock and this is MY HOME. Now GET OUT or I will have you forcibly removed!" all the men heard the cracking of knuckles and looked down to see Gaara holding his fist. There was no doubt where the menacing sound had come from.

"Y-yes s-sir." all the men said in unison. They bowed low and quickly made their way out. Jiraiya glared until he was sure they were all gone. He then sighed and dropped down on the lounge chair in front of the young married couple. Sakura slid out from behind Gaara and approached her father.

"What's wrong Daddy?" she asked quietly. Jiraiya looked up at them, his eyes tired.

"They're trying to hold off the trial until we agree for a blood test to see if Sasuke is the father or not. Itachi says that Sasuke is adamant the baby's not his. However, I also pointed out that they held off the trial for almost three months because of 'personal issues'. The judge is supposed to call me with his decision sometime later-" he was cut off by his cell phone going off. He opened it and answered.

"Hai?" he kept his eyes on his daughter until a smile broke out on his face. "Thank you sir. Yes, I know it's an underhanded tactic, but it's also a fail proof one. You and I both know that the Uchiha brothers are far more arrogant than they should be. Having one confess on the assumption he's a father would be adequate reparations for myself. However, I want to seek reparations for the damage done to my daughter's home and the hospital bills. No, she doesn't seem the worse for wear, but she missed a lot of school and she's still wearing the casts. No sir I don't think so. You can speak with her if you like. Yes sir, here she is." Jiraiya handed her the phone. She gingerly took it and instantly recognized the gruff yet kind voice on the other end.

"Sakura-san…how are you feeling?" Sakura giggled and looked at Gaara.

"Bloated, but I'm infinitely happy. And you, sir? How are your son and grandson doing?" There was a pause on the other side and then a deep chuckle. She smiled up at her father, who had a lop sided grin on his face.

"They are doing well, thank you for asking. Now tell me…do you seek reparations for the emotional trauma caused by the attack?" Sakura cocked her head and looked at Gaara, who had his arms folded across his chest. He was her emotional reparations.

She smiled and answered him. "No sir. I've got everything I need in that area. I just don't want to be stuck with the doctor bills and the contracting bills I'm sure have accumulated from the attack. My foster brother had to bring in some contractors to fix my old house before it could be lived in again. Not to mention the repainting from the blood splatters and the intense cleaning in order to be able to put it up on the market. And then there is the hospital bill…I can't pay that. I won't ask my father to either. Sasuke needs to take responsibility for his actions…and the consequences that follow. I ask nothing more than the outstanding bills be paid and his debt to society be paid." she looked at her father then, who looked pained.

"I don't want another girl to go through what I have…it's painful to see the people who love me pained because of this…especially daddy…" she said quietly, a tear slipping down her face. She felt Gaara hug her from behind and she leaned against him thankfully.

There was silence before someone cleared their throat. It was then that Sakura realized that Sarutobi was not the only one in the room. She gasped and looked at her father, who nodded. She kept quiet, her smile still in place. "Very well…we will see you at the trial young one. In the meantime, take care of yourself and make sure your father stays out of trouble." Sakura giggled and looked up at her father.

"Yes sir. I will. Tell Konohamaru that I will stop by and let him see the baby before I leave town after the trial. Daddy says he wants to see 'Uncle' Jiraiya's grand baby." Jiraiya blushed and looked away, making Sakura giggle again. Sarutobi chuckled and several other chuckles were heard. Sarutobi agreed and then said goodbye. When Sakura hung up, she arched a brow at her father.

"Before I gave you the phone, Sarutobi-san said that there were people that thought perhaps you were after money. Those present were those people. He must have called them in when I was handing you the phone." he noticed the arched brow of his daughter and held up his hands. "It was Sarutobi-san's plan, don't get mad at me!" Sakura giggled and turned in the arms of her husband. She smiled up at him and laid her head against his chest.

"Do you know who Sasuke's lawyer is going to call to the witness stand?" Sakura asked quietly. Gaara just held her, his chin resting on the top of her head. Jiraiya sighed and took out a folder. He knew this was coming. He opened it and rifled through it.

"His lawyer was going to be Itachi, until Sarutobi said it would be a conflict of interest. That's why I wont be prosecuting this case either. Normally I wouldn't even think about it…but…" he shrugged and picked up a paper with a picture attached. It was of a man with whitish blond hair and unusual green eyes.

"His name is Phelps. He's been a lawyer for six years and has lost three cases. He normally never takes a case like this, but he owes Itachi." Jiraiya smirked as the two looked at him. "He also hates the Uchihas. Itachi dated his younger sister until she committed suicide. No one knows why she did it, but he blames Itachi. However, Itachi bailed him out financially when his small firm was sued for malpractice. The case fell through, but it also cost them a lot of clientèle. Some say Itachi was the source of that as well." Sakura nodded and handed it back to her father. She laid her head on Gaara's shoulder once more.

"He has seven people on the stand in Sasuke's defense. One, is his housekeeper." Sakura laughed when he said this and he arched a questioning brow. Sakura stopped laughing, but her shoulders bounced in amusement.

"Sasuke doesn't have a housekeeper. I usually cleaned his place when I visited him. If Sasuke says he's got a housekeeper, he's lying." Jiraiya scribbled a few things beside the housekeeper's name and then went down the list.

"Next is a girl that you guys went to high school with. A young woman named Karin? Says here that she can attest to your promiscuous tendencies." Jiraiya arched another brow at the laugh, only this time it was from Gaara.

"It will be easy to pick that whore apart on the stand. Even I could do it. She's the one that Sasuke cheated on Sakura with. She also slept with two teachers…it's why she was sent back to her old school." Gaara stroked Sakura's hair and kissed her forehead. Jiraiya scribbled more things on the paper and continued down the list. The more people he went over, the more it seemed as if the defense would fall through. He wondered if Phelps was making it easy on them.

"The last person on the list is said to be able to attest to your unfaithfulness in the relationship." He saw Sakura stiffen and looked at him. He laughed when he saw the name. It was actually two names. "Uzumaki Naruto, foster brother, and Sabaku Gaara, supposed accomplice in the unfaithfulness." Sakura stared, wide eyed, at her father.

"Are you serious? They are trying to use my brother and husband against me?" Gaara soothed her and rolled this around in his head. When he was done, he narrowed his eyes and looked up at his father-in-law.

"Does this Phelps man know about our plot? He's setting it to where we can easily dispute all his witnesses and then he brings me in. He knows I won't testify against Sakura…the only way to get out of it without being in contempt of court is to invoke my right to deny as her spouse." Jiraiya cocked his head and looked through a few more papers. He smiled.

"Or as her legal guardian. You signed all her paperwork at the hospital. As her legal guardian, you can opt to not testify against her." Gaara rolled this around in his mind a few times and then looked at them.

"No…he's up to something. I want to know what it is. Can you set up a meeting with this man? I want it to be just him and the three of us." Sakura was shocked, but she also knew that there had to be a reason. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, but nodded. He got on the phone.

"Silvie….it's me. I need you to call a meeting with Phelps. No, it's just a social call. No. Just ask him to call my cell phone. Thanks Silvie. Oh, I'll tell her. Okay, thanks. Bye." Jiraiya smiled and gave them the thumbs up. He then held up a finger. "Oh, and Sakura. Silvie says she hopes you come into the office soon. She wants to see the most important thing in my world in the flesh. Those are her words, not mine." he winked at her and she smiled, a slight blush on her face.

Gaara smiled at his wife and kissed her on the head. "We'd best get out, Koi. There's no telling when this Phelps man will call and I want to meet him as soon as possible. There's something going on and I intend to find out what this man is playing at." Sakura could hear the underlying menace in her husbands voice. She smiled at him, complete faith and trust in her eyes.

"Alright, Gaara-kun. I trust you know what you're doing." She kissed him lightly and then pulled herself up the steps, one at a time. Gaara followed her, making sure she didn't slip. He wrapped her up in a towel and walked with her to their bedroom. He helped her change into a comfortable white sun dress with cherry blossoms all over it. She had on comfy flip flops and Gaara braided her hair for her. She had gotten the casts off right before they had come to live with her father for the trial, but the braces were stiff and hard to maneuver. Gaara did a lot of things for her, including helping her bathe, dressing her, and cooking for them. He also drove her everywhere, carried things for her, and braided her hair when she asked him to.

They were having a light lunch when Jiraiya came in with the platinum blond in tow. His unusual green eyes averted when they saw Sakura. He took a step back and it looked like pain flashed across his face. Sakura looked at her father, who arched a brow at the man.

"Something wrong, Phelps-san?" The man shook his head, but he refused to look at Sakura. Sakura stood and offered her hand to the man. He looked at her hand, and for the first time since he'd looked away, he looked at her.

"Gillian…" he whispered, before taking her hand. Sakura gasped and looked at her father, who was scowling now.

"Do you have something wrong with my daughter, Phelps?" he asked in a menacing tone. Sakura put her hand on her father's arm and calmed him.

"Daddy…be nice. Can't you see Phelps-san is in pain?" she said gently. She smiled at the blond and motioned him to sit where she had previously been. She moved to sit by her husband and her father. Phelps took a seat, but he didn't look up.

"Phelps-san…I understand that you wish to call me to the witness stand in Uchiha Sasuke's defense…why?" Phelps cleared his throat and looked up. His gaze at once rested on Sakura. He cleared his throat again and looked down at his briefcase.

"If it is not too much to ask, could Sakura-san please be excused? It is…hard…for me to talk in her presence." Gaara was about to refuse when Sakura put her hand on his shoulder.

"It is not too much to ask. I am sorry that my presence disturbs you so, but I understand your pain. I will wait for you in the living room." Sakura exchanged a look with her husband, who quieted. She then made her way into the hall and back into the living room.

"I am sorry to have asked that, but…" pain flashed through his eyes as he looked up at both men. Both could tell that something was on his mind. "Sakura-san looks too much like Gillian…" he said quietly. Jiraiya looked at him, not quite putting two and two together. Gaara, however, understood.

"Your sister. Sakura reminds you of your sister. I understand now…I am sorry to bring up bad memories for you Phelps-san." Gaara, for all his youth, was extremely diplomatic and very intelligent. Jiraiya smiled at the youth and reaffirmed it in his mind that Gaara would be a good husband to his daughter.

"Thank you, Sabaku-san, Sannin-san. I apologize for my lack of control, but, the pain is still very fresh." both men nodded and pulled out the file at hand. Gaara presented the list of witnesses.

"Your first five witnesses will fall apart on the stand. But you already know this. You wrote down whoever Sasuke told you to write down…yet you put Naruto and myself without his consent, didn't you?" Phelps looked at him and then at the list.

"Yes. Sasuke was convinced that his family had enough sway that if he presented reasonable doubt, he would be let off." Phelps looked at Jiraiya from the corner of his eye. "However…he is not aware that you are her father, Jiraiya-san. Itachi has not told him…and neither have I. For him to have assaulted the daughter of a D.A….it will take more than his family's influence to get him off. I added the two of you as a sort of trap…for him. I am tired of the Uchihas getting off because of their family's prestige." there was a hard glint in the man's green-blue eyes. The man then took an envelope from his briefcase.

"Itachi has been covertly trying to prove that the baby Sakura-san carries is not Sasukes. I intercepted these photographs before they were delivered. I also tracked down the one responsible and made sure that there will be no other copies." Phelps handed the envelope to Jiraiya, who removed the photos and looked at them. He scowled.

"These photos can be taken many different ways." he said, until he came to one towards the back. It was of Gaara on his knees in front of a very pregnant Sakura. He was kissing her stomach and a

ppeared to be talking to her stomach. Gaara stiffened.

"That happened this afternoon…when we were heading out to the pool." he said, his eyes alight with anger. Jiraiya was incensed that someone would come into HIS home and spy on HIS daughter. Phelps nodded and handed them something else.

"This is a letter from the man who took the photos to Itachi. You wont be hearing from the spy. He's currently in jail for invasion of private property, stalking, invasion of privacy, and the indecent photography of pregnant women." Phelps smiled at them, a lop sided grin that reminded both men of the Cheshire cat. Gaara blinked and then smirked. He opened the letter and read it.

'There is no doubt in my mind that these two are more heavily involved than the public knows. I've followed them for several weeks now and, though I've never seen any actual displays to prove otherwise, their lack of affection hints they are hiding something. I hit jackpot when I followed the D.A. we discussed to her house. She snuggled up to him as if they were married. When they arrived, there was a lot of affection between the father and daughter, but not much between the red head and the girl. However, I stumbled through the garden and accidentally found her room. I found the red head in there, kissing her stomach. I believe this will prove that it's not your brother's kid. I expect my payment in the usual way, in the usual spot. I will send the goods to your office. And remember…if you don't pay me…those photos I have of you and the foreign girl will find their way into the newspapers.'

Gaara was disgusted. He handed the letter to Jiraiya, who growled. The older man's hand was clenching around the letter and he crumbled it up before punching the table. "What kind of SICK PERVERT stalks a pregnant woman!?" he hissed. Phelps stayed quiet, but Gaara stood and put his hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Why don't you go keep Sakura company? I wish to ask Phelps-san some questions." Jiraiya looked between the two, back at the photos, and then out where his daughter had gone. He looked straight at Phelps.

"Those are to be burned. I will not have the fantasy of some sick maniac floating around to be used against my daughter later in life." Gaara nodded and gathered the photos up. He stuck them in the envelope and handed them to Jiraiya. Before Jiraiya stormed out, however, Gaara stopped him.

"Jiraiya-san…the photo of Sakura and myself…where I am kissing her stomach…" there was a request in Gaara's eyes and Jiraiya read it. He smiled and nodded in understanding. Gaara sat down and turned his attention back to the man before him. The man had his eyes narrowed on the young red head before him.

"You are quite intelligent for your age, young man. You were able to discern things that even the infamous Jiraiya missed. Tell me…why is it so important to know my motives for putting you on the witness stand." Gaara regarded the man before he picked something up.

"This goes no further than where we are sitting. Should I catch wind of it that you have betrayed my trust, you will regret it." Gaara held up a piece of paper that had some personal information about Phelps on it. The other man's eyes widened and he looked at Gaara, stunned.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, almost frightened. Gaara kept his eyes blank.

"I have my ways. Now, do you swear to keep what I am about to say a secret between the two of us?" the man looked at him, then at the sheet the young man had, and then back into the young man's eyes.

"You have my word." he said quietly. Perhaps this intelligent young man could help him in his revenge against Itachi,

"Almost six months ago, Sakura and I were married." Phelps' eyes became wide. He opened his file and looked through it.

"There is no record, no paperwork, no news clippings…" He looked up into the cold and calculating eyes of the young man who claimed to be Jiraiya's son-in-law.

"There is no paper trail. Sarutobi-san ensured that. We were married by Sarutobi in the courthouse six months ago. Sakura will not assume my surname until after the trial. It was done to protect her." Phelps sat back in his chair and regarded the young man. He was certainly a thinker, this one.

"And you have managed to keep this quiet for this long? I am impressed. What of the child Sakura-san carries? She looks much larger than only, what…five months?" Gaara narrowed his eyes on the man, who shrugged. Gaara sat back in his own chair.

"Sakura is a little over five months…the child she carries is mine." he let that sink in and then leaned forward. "We have allowed the assumption that it is Sasuke's child because I intend to make that bastard pay for what he did to my wife. I am going to use his arrogance against him. He has always flaunted his relationship with Sakura in front of me. He has always known that I loved her." Phelps listened carefully as Gaara outlined his plan, even accounting for any slip ups. The young man was impressive.

"So you are saying that…even though you are married…you wish to keep up the ruse that you are not and be forced into testifying against her?" Gaara sat back in his chair, his fingers meeting at the very tips.

"I will not testify against my wife…I will not need to. Sasuke's ego is bigger than his brain. If he thinks that I am competing with him, he will blurt out the truth just to prove himself the 'winner'." Phelps was impressed with this young man. His ability to think ahead was impressive. Phelps nodded and stood. He handed his card to the young man.

"If you want a job, I will pay for your education to become a lawyer. My firm is family oriented, so you never have to fear your family taking a back seat to your job. You work the cases you want and we only take cases that reach a certain criteria. Give me a call sometime. I could use a mind like yours." with that, the man left. Gaara smirked and walked out to where his wife and father-in-law were. He saw Phelps bowing to them politely. When Sakura noticed him, she sent him a smile. Phelps noticed and looked back at him. "I'm serious, Sabaku-san. Give me a call. I'm sure we could work something out." Gaara smirked and nodded as Phelps left. Jiraiya and Sakura looked at him, confused.

Gaara smiled at his wife and sat down beside her, kissing her lightly on the nose. She giggled and leaned against him. Jiraiya arched a brow. "What was that all about?" Gaara smirked as he rubbed his wife's stomach.

"That, my friend, was the culmination of our plans being cemented into place. Phelps is going to help us with our plans." Jiraiya looked stunned, but Sakura giggled.

"Did he offer you a job, Gaara-kun? I've heard his firm is one of the few that are very strict about what cases they take. They are also said to be very family friendly." she said, putting her hand on top of his over her bulging belly. Gaara smiled and kissed her on the side of the head.

"Yes, koi, he offered me a job. Offered to pay for everything I would need as far as schooling and training goes as well." Jiraiya was stunned…this was new. Gaara laughed at his stunned father-in-law's face. He pulled his wife up with him and looked at the clock. "I think it's time to get ready for bed, love. The next few days are going to fly by and before we know it, we will be facing Sasuke once more." Sakura nodded and followed her husband into their room. Jiraiya smiled at the two…they were so in love…


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Okay, so I got to reading this just out of sheer stupidity and noticed that one of the chapters was missing...it goes straight from pre-trail to epilogue...that was not my intention..... So, here it is, the missing thirteenth chapter! P.S. I own only the plot!  
**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 13: Justice

Several days after the meeting between Gaara and Phelps, Jiraiya was sitting with his daughter on the prosecutors side in the courtroom. The young man that Jiraiya had entrusted to prosecute his daughter's case of an excellent lawyer…he just thought too much of himself. Upon meeting Sakura, the young man had bowed in a flourish and called her beautiful. He had completely ignored Gaara, who had glared in retaliation. It was only when the young man had asked her on a date and Gaara had told him no, that things had gotten ugly.

The man had demanded to know why, and when Gaara hadn't answered, the man had gotten offensive. Gaara had popped the guy in the face, picked him up, and thrown him out of Jiraiya's home. When the man had asked what authority Gaara had in the D.A.'s house, Gaara had flipped him off and slammed the door. Gaara had returned to a severely embarrassed looking Jiraiya and a tearful Sakura. Gaara had demanded a new person to handle the case…one that wouldn't hit on his wife. Jiraiya had agreed.

So here they were, a young woman of twenty eight, who only had four cases under her belt. Gaara had questioned this one as well, but when the young woman had told him that she had she had nine years of police duty under her belt and that she knew a victim when she saw one, Gaara approved. The young woman had been kind to Sakura, asked her only questions she felt wouldn't upset the young pregnant woman. And now, here they were, standing in front of the court, waiting for the defendant to arrive.

Gaara left to get Sakura something to drink and hadn't been gone five minutes when Sasuke, guards on either side of him, came strolling in. Arrogance poured of him, as did confidence. His brother, Itachi, walked in the room behind him, a brooding frown on his face. Phelps was trailing behind, a scowl on his face. As soon as Phelps arrived at the bench, court was called into session.

Sakura squirmed slightly and leaned into her father when Sasuke looked over at her. He smirked at her and then faced forward. Sakura wished Gaara would hurry up and come back, but she wasn't sure where he had gone to get her a drink. Phelps had called his first witness, the supposed cleaning lady Sasuke had, who was picked apart on the stand. It was proved that the woman had become his cleaning lady AFTER Sakura's attack.

Prosecution's first witness was a young man that had gone to high school with Sakura and Sasuke. He confirmed Sasuke's deplorable treatment of Sakura all through high school and through most of college. He was dismissed. Next, Phelps called Karin, who was nervous on the stand. The young woman prosecuting the case picked her apart as well, making her come out and tell about her cheating with Sasuke while he was dating Sakura. She even told them, in a small voice, that Sakura had forgiven Sasuke for the misdeed. She, too, had been dismissed.

Witness after witness was called, more were picked apart by the sharp young prosecutor. Hinata, Ino, and Kiba were called forth in Sakura's defense. All defended her gladly, but also pointed out the many troubles that had occurred in Sakura's relationship with Sasuke…ones only outsiders could have seen. Finally, it was down to one witness for each side. Prosecution was allowed first, and the young woman smirked.

"I call Uchiha Sasuke to the stand." Itachi jumped to his feet, yelling denials. Sarutobi pounded his gavel against the rest and demanded Itachi be seated. Phelps had a look of surprise on his face…this was not the final witness that had been outlined. As was his duty, he asked to approach the bench…he would not have Itachi saying he didn't do everything in his power to help.

When the young prosecutor approached the bench, there was a heated discussion, in which it was pointed out that just that morning the other prosecutor had been removed from the case and that, had she had the appropriate time, she would have gladly informed the defense, but when she had tried, no one had answered. Phelps was at a loss and had to conceded. When they returned, Phelps whispered to Sasuke, who had paled, and then to Itachi, who had balled his fist up as if to strike Phelps.

Sarutobi, seeing this, called a five minute recession. They all took the time to prepare and when they returned, Sasuke too the stand. It was during all this, that Gaara chose to return, a water bottle and a tall cup of hot tea in his hands. He made his way to Sakura and sat by her side. He gave her the tea and put his arm around the back of the bench. Gaara had just gotten settled when Sasuke was called to the stand. The black haired youth had turned with a malicious smirk, only to find Gaara with his arm around Sakura.

Sasuke had faltered, but he had climbed into the stand, his eyes holding untold fury. He was put under oath and the proceedings were continued. The young prosecutor started picking him apart on the stand. Highlighting his obvious disregard for women, his lack of respect for authority, and his temper upon seeing someone he disliked. Sasuke had answered in a growling tone, his eyes locked on the scene of Gaara with Sakura. When the young woman had handed the line of questioning to Phelps, their plan was set in motion.

Phelps took his time as he made his way over to Sasuke. "Uchiha-san, you say that when you went to Haruno-san's home, she was less than inviting?" Sasuke's eyes flickered to Phelps and then back to Gaara and Sakura.

"Yeah." he said glumly. Phelps nodded and walked so that his back was facing Sasuke. He made a thoughtful face.

"Why do you think she wasn't happy to see you? You had been dating for several years, hadn't you?" Sasuke's eyes clouded over and he glared at Gaara now.

"She probably didn't want to see me because she had other plans." he hissed, his temper building at the smirk that appeared on Gaara's face. Sakura was drinking her tea happily, sipping it and then smiling at her father.

"Did she tell you she had other plans? Did you even ask?" Sasuke glared at the lawyer that was supposed to be defending him. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"No…she came out of the laundry room and her face said it all. She hadn't wanted to see me. I drove all the way over there to see her and she acted like I was some kind of stalker." he replied acerbically. He glared at nothing in particular now. Phelps proceeded with his questioning.

"From statements made to the police, you went to discuss issues in your relationship with Haruno-san. Could this have anything to do with her mood?" Sasuke's eyes bored through Phelps at that moment.

"She was cold to me the minute I stepped through the door. I went and sat down, turned on the T.V. and she acted like I'd cut off someone's head." he growled, not knowing where this was going.

"Does she often yell at you for such trivial things?" Sasuke arched a brow and had to grudgingly admit the truth.

"No…she yelled at me cause I didn't take my shoes off. She's a neat freak…she likes to keep her house spotless." Phelps nodded and then walked in another circle, coming back to face him.

"What started the fight between yourself and Haruno-san? Was it over the shoes, or, another matter?" Sasuke squirmed. He then turned angry eyes on Gaara.

"Her brother called. I had come over to talk about an important part of our relationship and she was going to ditch me to go spend time with them. I was upset. I yelled at her about spending more time with her friends than with me. She ignored me until she was off the phone and then she started yelling at me. She brought up…indiscretions…from our past. When I accused her of cheating on me, she blew up at me and kicked me out." he hissed as he glared at Gaara once more. He blamed the red head for all of this. Phelps noticed.

"Why would you accuse her of cheating? Had she ever shown signs of disloyalty?" Phelps could see the questions in the eyes of the jury. He knew that depending on the answer, there would be one last question.

Sasuke just glared out into nothing. After several minutes, he answered. "Nothing really big, I just had a sneaking suspicion. She usually smiled whenever I came over…we talked, and she always kissed me goodnight. That day, she greeted me coldly and refused to touch me unless it was to smack me in some way." he grumped. He looked like a petulant child.

"Who did you think she was cheating on you with?" he noticed the flare of hatred immediately. Sasuke surged to his feet and pointed straight at Gaara.

"The guy sitting there with his arm around her. That son of a-" the gavel came down with a resounding bang, startling Sasuke into silence.

"UCHIHA-SAN…may I remind you that in this court, there will be no foul language. There are women present in this courtroom." Sasuke just stared up at Sarutobi, who glared at him. Sasuke blinked several times and then grumbled Gaara's name. Sakura was clinging to her father, fear all over her face. The jury was looking at her and could see from her expression she feared the young man's anger. The braces on her arms and the tears in her eyes didn't go unnoticed either.

"Thank you for your cooperation Uchiha-san." Phelps said lightly. He then motioned for Sasuke to leave the stand. Sasuke stood up, his glared directed at Gaara and Sakura. He then walked to his seat and sat down. Itachi grabbed his shoulder and there was a quick exchange of heated words. Sasuke then turned around and stared into nothing.

Phelps stood and called his next witness. "I would like to call Sabaku Gaara to the stand please." There was a hissed comment made by Itachi, who sat down when Sarutobi glared at him. Sasuke looked surprised, but hoped his lawyer would tear the red head apart on the stand. Gaara squeezed Sakura's hand and walked forward. He was put under oath and sat with dignity and intelligence in the stand. Phelps started with his questioning.

"Sabaku-san…is it true that you and Haruno-san are very close?" Gaara regarded him and then nodded before answering.

"Yes. Sakura-san and I grew up together, along with her foster brother, Naruto. Her mother took me in when I was twelve. The three of us have been together ever since." Phelps nodded and looked at the jury. He could tell they like Gaara better than Sasuke. He smirked. To hide it, he asked his next question.

"What was the nature of your relationship with Haruno-san at the time of her attack?" Again, Gaara just looked at him before answering. His voice was soft and well spoken.

"Sakura-san and I were, and still are, best friends. We talked about everything together. When she had a problem, she would come to me for advice. If she needed help with school, she would ask me to tutor her. It had been that way since we were young." he smiled at Sakura, a smile meant to reassure her. The jury noticed and noticed how the young woman seemed to relax a little. Phelps went on.

"Did you at any time attempt to persuade Sakura to cheat on Sasuke?" Gaara arched a brow at him, but answered truthfully.

"No. I never told her to cheat on him. I did, however, encourage her to think long and hard if that was the kind of relationship she wanted to be stuck in. Her time with him had taken a toll on her physically and emotionally." Phelps raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" Gaara narrowed his eyes for a second and then sighed.

"She wasn't sleeping well. She would call me sometimes, early in the morning…just to talk. She lost her appetite a lot when they were together. Naruto and I sometimes went out to eat with them. I'd caught him checking out other women in the restaurant several times. It shamed Sakura for us to see that." he then sat forward a bit, as if sharing a secret.

"She cried a lot. She often told me that if she died she could get away from it all…away from the pain in her life. She lost her mother a few years back. Sasuke showed up to the funeral and hit on her cousins. When we were in high school, he cheated on her. She was devastated by what he did. I tried to get her to seek professional help, but she just smiled and said that she would get over it." Phelps looked at the jury from the corner of his eye. It was time to make this interesting.

"What are your feelings for her now? You seem to care very much about her." Gaara's eyes narrowed again and he sat back. It was time to piss Sasuke off.

"I love her. I always have. I did not interfere with her relationship with Sasuke because I wanted her to be happy…even if it wasn't with me." There was a scraping and Sasuke shot to his feet. He slammed his hands down on the table.

"She's MINE Sabaku! You hear me!? She's carrying MY child! I got to her before you! You will never replace me as her first!" he screamed. Itachi blanched and tried to restrain his brother. Sarutobi slammed his gavel and demanded order, but Sasuke struggled more, yelling things. Itachi managed to force Sasuke to a seated position, but the implications of what had been said were already spreading.

The young prosecutor stood, asking for counsel to come forward. "Sarutobi-sama…what the defendant just yelled was as good as a confession. I would like permission to call two more witnesses. The Defense are more than welcome to question them as well." Sarutobi looked at Phelps, who shrugged.

"He already hung himself…there is little I can do for him now except try to make it look a little less horrific than it appears." Sarutobi nodded and both counsel returned to their seats. Sarutobi explained what was going on.

"The prosecution has requested permission to call on two more witnesses. The Defense has agreed on the grounds of establishing reasonable doubt." Sarutobi notice Itachi narrowing his eyes on Phelps. When the older Uchiha hissed something to Phelps, the man shrugged. He could barely make out what was being said over the background noise.

"I agreed to try and make it seem as if it isn't as bad as what he just implied himself. At this rate, he'll be found guilty and given the stiffest charge possible. He should have kept his damn mouth shut." Phelps hissed. Sarutobi didn't miss the veiled threat Itachi made. It was plain in Sarutobi's eyes: If Phelps didn't win the case, he could kiss his firm goodbye. Sarutobi smirked…not if he had anything to do about it.

"We will have a short recession. Counsel, to my chambers." Sarutobi noticed Itachi stand and he arched a brow. "You are not a part of counsel, Uchiha-san." Itachi opened his mouth several times and then closed it. He sat back down and watched as the Prosecutor, Phelps and Jiraiya left. He wondered why Jiraiya was allowed to go. Then it hit him…Jiraiya was the D.A. and as such, he was permitted to attend meetings that involved one of his prosecutors. Itachi gulped…this was not good.

On the way to Sarutobi's chambers, he called his accountant. He told the man to pay back any and all debts Phelps's firm had. It was a substantial amount, but he knew the man would pay it back in full. That taken care of, he walked into his chambers, where three people were waiting for him.

He sat behind his desk and regarded everyone in front of him. "Now…" he balked…he didn't know the young prosecutors name. She chuckled lightly and took her hair down while she removed her glasses. He almost choked. "K-Kurenai!?" the other two males arched brows until Sarutobi cleared his throat. "Yuhi-san, I was unaware that you would be the prosecutor of this case. Care to explain?" The young woman stuck out her tongue and blushed.

"Jiraiya-san has no idea of my relationship to your family. I don't talk about it at all at work. However, when I got word that his daughter was in need of someone to prosecute her case, I volunteered. I know how much respect you and Asuma have for him, despite your differences in opinion with him." Jiraiya was confused now. He scratched the back of his head and pointed at her.

"How are you connected with Sarutobi-san?" Kurenai giggled and looked at the old judge. He sighed and pointed at her.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce you to miss Yuhi Kurenai…my son's fiancé." Jiraiya's eyes bulged and Phelps cleared his throat. Sarutobi cleared his throat and went about official business.

"Now, back to the matter at hand…Yuhi-san, who is it that you wish to put on the stand?" Kurenai put her hair back up and put her glasses on. She was once again the young prosecutor.

"I would like to call Shizune-san, another orphan taken in by Tsunade-san, and…" she looked up at Jiraiya, who arched a brow. She let out her breath and prepared for her boss's reaction. "I would also like to call Sakura-sama to the stand." As expected, Jiraiya adamantly objected.

"I will not allow this!" he hissed and glared at his prosecutor. The young woman stayed firm and pointed out WHY she should be on the stand.

"Jiraiya-sama…as much as I respect you, I must also point out that Sakura-sama is a grown woman. As such, she is entitled to accept whether you wish it or not." Kurenai's eyes softened and she put her hand on her forearm. "She deserves to tell her side of the story, Jiraiya-sama. The accusations that Sasuke made…she has a right to dispute them." Jiraiya continued to glare, but he said nothing. Phelps stepped in to encourage his cooperation.

"Jiraiya-sama…I know I have no right to pry, but I think Yuhi-san has a point. Your daughter has pride…and it was stung today by Uchiha-san's accusations. If you deny her the right to exonerate herself, she may not forgive you for it." Jiraiya sighed and fake tears appeared in his eyes, cascading down his face in a comical fashion.

"Oh, there is no doubt in my mind that she would make me miserable if I don't give her this chance…it's Sabaku I'm worried about. HE'S the one that scares me more than my daughter…" the other three people laughed and it was agreed. Sakura was to take the stand. Jiraiya hid behind Kurenai as they all filed out. He made his way to his daughter and whispered in her ear. Her eyes widened and she looked at him. He nodded and she smiled at him, hugging him. Gaara, who was still sitting in the witness stand, noticed.

Phelps approached him once more. "Sabaku-san…I apologize for the interruption from earlier. You said that you love Haruno-san, correct?" Gaara arched a brow and murmured a 'yes'. Phelps smiled at him, though it was with his eyes. "You also said that you did not interfere with her relationship because you wanted her to be happy, yes?" Again, Gaara answered the affirmative. Phelps then held up a piece of paper. "Is this the doctor bill that accumulated during Haruno-san's stay? I think she was there for….almost two and a half months?" Gaara took the paper and looked it over. He grunted.

"That's only for the room. That doesn't include the surgery, physical therapy, or her medications." Phelps nodded and looked at the jury covertly. "So, you're saying that the entire time she was there, you took care of her?" Gaara narrowed his eyes on the man and crossed his arms.

"When she came to the house, she was four hours late. Naruto and I were frantic, but Naruto knew that Sasuke was there. Neither of us thought he would hurt her. When she got there, she was afraid. She also looked paler than normal. When one of us touched her, she panicked. When she passed out, I managed to catch her. Her makeup smeared all over my black top. Her body was riddled with bruises, but it was the purple finger prints around her throat that scared me." He closed his eyes. "Naruto and I managed to get her in the car and to the hospital. On the way, we were pulled over by an officer. When he saw what was going on, he escorted us to the hospital. Sakura stopped breathing for a few seconds and I panicked. I managed to position her so that she could breath easier. However, when we got to the hospital, and they laid her on her back, she stopped breathing again. I sat her up, and she seemed to breathe easier. The doctors rushed her into emergency surgery. She was in there for almost thirteen hours." he opened his eyes again and there was a coldness to them.

"Naruto, our friends…we all stayed there. We waited for her to wake up. When she did, she begged me not to leave her alone…she was terrified." for the first time, his anger was apparent. "Yeah, I took care of her. She has been my best friend since I was twelve years old. I've known her since we were eight…that's fourteen years. I wasn't about to leave her there, alone, when she begged me not to. I sat there, day in and day out, watching her sleep…listening to her cry out for some unseen attacker to stop hurting her. I watched the tears she cried in her sleep. I listened to her cry for her mother…beg her father to take the pain away…" His voice cracked and he had to look away. When he looked up, there was a wealth of emotion in his eyes.

"Yeah…I took care of her…but obviously it wasn't enough. She still got hurt…she nearly died." Phelps nodded and told him he could leave the stand. Gaara composed himself and walked down off the stand, never looking at Sasuke. When he got around to where Sakura was, she put her hand on his chest. He smiled at her and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze.

Kurenai cleared her throat, drawing the courtroom's attention to her. "The prosecution would like to call Officer Shizune to the stand." Kakashi stood, having arrived late, and allowed Shizune to slide past him and walk up to the witness stand. She was in uniform and she walked forward with a file in her hand. Her cold black eyes narrowed when she saw Sasuke. She went to the stand and was sworn in. She seated herself and waited for the questioning to come.

Kurenai approached her, a friendly smile on her face. "You are the officer that took Haruno-san's statement, am I correct?" Shizune looked at her, confused.

"No…I was called into the hospital after my commanding officer, Kakashi-sempai, had taken her statement. A nurse informed him of the true nature of the case and a female officer was requested. I was already on my way over there when I was told to head over. I was unaware of what was going on until Kakashi-sempai informed me that I would be handling a rape case." the whole room went still when she mentioned the word 'rape'. Tension built and Kurenai allowed it to. She then asked another question.

"When you arrived, what kind of shape was Haruno-san in?" Pain flashed across Shizune's face…horror in her eyes.

"I had never seen anything like it in my life. She had casts from her shoulders down to knuckles on her hands. Her hair still had bloodstains in it. Her face…" Shizune had to clear her throat. "Her face…looked like someone had beaten her with a baseball bat. The vessels in her eyes had burst, so her eyes were bloody. She was black and blue all over. She had…finger prints…on her neck. Like someone had tried to choke the life from her…" her voice caught and she took deep breaths. When she had composed herself, she continued. "She was curled up in a ball on her bed. All kinds of machines were hooked up to her…ones that made sure her vital organs were working properly. She had stitches everywhere…bandages…her legs were purple…she had a cast on her hip…I caught a glimpse of it when she shift to her side when she was talking to me…" she stopped, wiping her eyes.

Kurenai let the court digest this. "Shizune-san…I wont ask you to go into detail, but what did Haruno-san tell you?" Shizune took out some papers from her file, along with some photographs.

"She gave me a detailed account of her rape, including descriptions of things broken, and the origin of many of the blood splatters on her walls. Forensic evidence backs her claims." Kurenai took the papers and handed one to Sarutobi, several to the jurors, and one to the defense. She then laid the photos on her bench. She picked one up. It was of Sakura, curled up in her hospital bed.

"Did you take these photographs, Shizune-san?" Shizune shook her head.

"No ma'am. Forensics took those photographs, along with the clothes she was brought in with and samples from under her nails. They even took clips of her hair for analysis." Kurenai nodded as she held up another photograph. It was a head on of Sakura, who looked horrific. She also looked terrified.

"Were these photographs taken right after the attack?" Shizune, again, shook her head.

"No ma'am…doctors wouldn't allow the forensics team to collect any evidence until she woke up. Took her three weeks to wake up and be able to function. She had extensive head trauma and she wouldn't let anyone touch her. We had to bring in the head forensic specialist from the home office in Konoha. She's the only woman in the tri-state district." Kurenai nodded and picked up another photograph. This one was of Sakura with the preschoolers. She was in a wheelchair, her face wrapped up in bandages, her arms strapped over her chest in their slings. You could see the white plaster of her hip cast sticking out. There were preschoolers all around her, their eyes sad.

Her lap was covered with a hospital blanket, and on top of it was a big, hand made card with crooked letters on it. "What was going on in this picture, Shizune-san?" Shizune blinked and cleared her throat.

"Haruno-san is very active on her college campus. She started a preschool program accessible by students and faculty alike. They can drop their kids off in the mornings and pick them up when they are done with classes. The kids were worried about her. They made her cards and visited when they could. Several of the parents visited as well. The kids begged to be able to visit her as a class…the doctors finally relented and they cleared one of the larger waiting areas and closed it off to the public. When the kids saw her…they were scared. She just smiled at them, even as they hid from her. When they realized who she was…many of them cried. Several ran up to her and cried in her lap. They gave her the cards they made. It was a heartbreaking sight…" Shizune looked down. The silence yawned on as Kurenai picked up another photo. It was one of two left.

This one was of Sakura walking on campus, though the angle implied a limp. Gaara was beside her, carrying her books. She had on dark glasses and her hair was drawn around her face, hiding as much of the abuse as it could. "And this? How long was this after the attack?" Shizune looked at the photo and sighed.

"Two months after she was let out of the hospital. She was adamant about getting back into school. She wanted to start clinics before winter. It was almost five months after the attack. They had kept her in the hospital for observation, in case some of the damaged organs failed." Kurenai nodded. She also made an observation.

"Five months and she was still that damaged? What about her arms? Why are they strapped against her chest?" Shizune rifled through her folder again. She held up another paper.

"Dr. Mali, the doctor who oversaw her surgery, sent me this report. As far as her arms are concerned, he wrote this: '_Patient's right hum__erus was broken, the left had several fractures. The left ulna and radius were broken and there were signs of fractures in the right ulna and radius. These __breaks and fractures are signs of a struggle with someone larger and more powerful that the patient'__._" Shizune handed the paper to Kurenai, who handed it to the jury. They all looked at it and then handed it back to Kurenai, who handed it to Sarutobi. He put his glasses on, read over it, and handed it back to the prosecutor. Kurenai handed it to Phelps, who skimmed it and then handed it back, much to Itachi's annoyance.

Kurenai then gave it back to Shizune, who put it back into the folder. The last photo was of Sakura, her stomach barely bulging, crying. Her psychologist, a young woman Kurenai was familiar with, had her hand on her back. "And this? I notice her arms are still in casts in this one. When was this?" Shizune's eyes snapped fire as she saw this one.

"Four months ago. Haruno-san was seeing a psychologist that was highly recommended by the SVU team. She handles all the department's rape cases. Sakura broke down and told her everything. Tayuya-san was so disturbed that she had to take personal time." Kurenai nodded and thanked Shizune. She passed the photos through the jury, showed them to Sarutobi, and offered them to the defense, who refused. She gave them back to Shizune and took her seat.

Phelps stood and walked over to Shizune. She glared at him, but his question caught her off guard. "You are an orphan, aren't you Shizune-san?" Shizune stuttered an affirmative, giving him a wary look. His face softened when he looked at her. "Who took you in when you were younger?" Shizune gulped.

"Tsunade-sama. She took me in until I went traveling. When I came back, I joined the police academy. I was no longer allowed to stay with her after that." Whispers went up throughout the courtroom. However, it died down quickly.

"How old were you when she took you in, Shizune-san?" Shizune sighed and leaned back slightly.

"I was nine. Tsunade-sama and my brother, Dan, were involved. When he died, I was orphaned. Tsunade-sama took me in. I was home schooled and managed to graduate by my fifteenth birthday. I wanted to see the world before I settled down, so when I was sixteen, I started traveling. I was seventeen when Jiraiya-sama called me and told me Tsunade-sama was having a baby. I came back long enough to visit and see the baby." Shizune looked at Sakura and smiled. "I went back to traveling until I turned nineteen. I was home sick and I wanted to see Tsunade-sama. When I came back, Sakura-san was 8 years old." there was love in her eyes.

"When I told Tsunade-sama of my decision to join the police academy, she had tried to convince me not to. When my decision couldn't be swayed, she had asked me not to come back. I was devastated, but I understood her decision. She had told me of her divorce, and why she had gotten it. I knew she didn't want Sakura-san in danger. After that, I got a job as a barkeep. I saved enough money to go to school for a degree in criminal justice. I dabbled a bit in law school, until I was finally accepted into the police academy. I was twenty six when I went into training. I graduated at twenty seven. I went into more extensive training…I wasn't ready for a field position. Two years ago, I was assigned to Officer Hatake Kakashi as his trainee. I was assigned my own partner just last year." Phelps nodded and motioned to the photos.

"Shizune-san, when you were first informed that you would be interviewing a rape victim, how did you react?" Shizune cleared her throat.

"I felt sorry for the girl. I didn't know who she was or what the circumstances were. It's always hard to deal with these types of cases, but the officer that usually takes them was on maternity leave. I was the only other available officer." Phelps nodded and turned to face the rest of the courtroom.

"Shizune-san…isn't it considered a conflict of interest for you to be one of the investigating officers, considering your close personal association with the victim?" Shizune stared at him for a second and then her eyes narrowed.

"First off, I had no idea the victim was going to be Tsunade's daughter. Second, I hadn't see Sakura-san in almost thirteen years. I have a fondness for her now because I was removed from the case after my report was filed. I have only been involved as far as taking her statement, which was tape recorded. Any other involvement on my part was strictly personal. I have been on leave the last four months due to my personal investment in this case. I refused any further involvement so as not to put this case in jeopardy." Phelps nodded and bowed to her.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Shizune-san." Shizune stood and glared at him before making one last statement.

"As an officer, I am offended that you would infer that I would tamper with this case. As an older sister…I can't really blame you. However, I know the difference and I know when to put either aside." she collected her things and walked off the stand, her head held high. Phelps smiled behind his hand and then cleared his throat. He nodded to Kurenai, who stood and cleared her throat.

"I call the victim, Haruno Sakura, to the stand." As soon as the words left her mouth, there was an uproar. Gaara jumped to his feet and adamantly denied the decision. Sasuke jumped to his feet as well, cursing. Itachi jumped up to catch his brother. Everything froze when Sarutobi slammed down his gavel.

"SILENCE IN MY COURTROOM!" Sarutobi glared out at the people causing an uproar. Sakura put her hand on Gaara and every eye in the courtroom was on the two of them.

"Gaara-kun…would you deny me my right to testify against my attacker?" Gaara's eyes widened at the pleading look on her face. He reached out and pulled on a strand of her hair. He smiled and shook his head.

"No…I just don't want to see you upset. It's bad for you in your condition." He said gently. The jury watched the two curiously as they spoke. The tension built when Sakura smile at him.

"Don't worry, Gaara-kun…it's just like when we were little and got into trouble with momma. All I have to do is tell the truth." Gaara nodded and took her hand into his. He put his other hand on her waist and helped her maneuver around the gate and up to the witness stand. She blinked several times when it was obvious she wouldn't fit. She made a pouting noise and the courtroom resounded with chuckles and giggles. The bailiff brought in a chair from Sarutobi's office and sat it by the witness stand. Sakura smiled at him and everyone could feel the warmth of it.

Purity and goodness clung to her like a second skin. She smiled freely and often. Motherhood suited her. She held up her hand and continued smiling even as she sworn in. When everything was settled, Gaara helped her sit in the overstuffed chair. He then went back to his own seat by her father. Kurenai smiled at her.

"Haruno-san…you seem very happy, despite what happened to you." Sakura blushed and rubbed her stomach. It was obvious that she was happy with her pregnancy.

"Yes…I have a lot to be happy about. My father and I have become much closer since my assault. I am going to have a beautiful baby to love me, and I have the best friends a woman could ask for. Not to mention a very overzealous brother that makes sure I smile." Sakura giggled and her belly jumped when she did. She squeaked and rubbed her stomach. "I'm sorry…the little one kicks a lot when I laugh." she smiled again and rested her arms on her stomach. Her braces were a stark contrast to the elegant sun dress she was wearing. The jury regarded her carefully. She fairly shown with happiness.

Kurenai smiled at her. "Haruno-san…could you explain to us what prompted the attack that day?" Sakura's smile faded and a sad look entered her eyes. She sighed and rubbed her stomach.

"I was doing laundry when I heard a knock at my door. I had had a rough day at school and all I wanted to do was spend some time alone. However, when I opened the door, it was Sasuke. I greeted him with a tired smile and a polite hello. I asked him if he needed something, but he didn't reply. Instead, he came into the house and made himself comfortable. I had white carpet in my house, and he knew everyone was supposed to take their shoes off. Instead, he came in with his dirty shoes and put them up on my couch. I scolded him and told him to get his feet off the couch, but he ignored me and turned on the T.V. to one of the soaps he likes to watch." there were several snickers and Sasuke turned slightly red. However, the hand his brother had on his shoulder kept him seated.

Sakura continued, still looking at her stomach and rubbing it. "I was upset that he had such disregard for the rules of my home. I went over to him, took the remote from him and turned the television off. He became angry and yelled at me. I told him that if he couldn't abide by my rules, he could go home. After that, I went into the kitchen to fix me something to eat. I heard him following me and waited for him to say something. He complained about me not appreciating him driving a whole thirty minutes to come and see me. When I didn't acknowledge him, as I was used to this complaint, he grabbed my arm tightly. It hurt…I jerked away from him and glared at him before demanding to know what was SO important that he had taken thirty minutes out of his precious schedule to come visit his girlfriend of almost seven years. Obviously he didn't pick up on the sarcasm, because he didn't acknowledge it with the usual whine that I'm being unfair." She sighed and shifted to get more comfortable.

"I expected him to tell me he wanted us to go out, since we hadn't really gone anywhere together for almost a month. The last time we did it was…well it wasn't good. However, what he said stunned me. His exact words were 'I've decided we're going to take our relationship to the next step.' I didn't really know what to make of that. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and I asked him to clarify what he meant by that. I asked him if he was asking me to marry him and he looked at me like I had lost my mind. He then said that he had DECIDED that we were going to be 'intimate'. I stared at him, thinking it was a joke at first until I saw the look in his eyes." she snorted at the memory, a flare of her old self coming out.

"I told him there was no way in hell, pardon my language, that I was going to have sex with him just because that was what he had 'decided'. I had to take several deep breaths because I was angry. I would probably have stabbed him with my juicer had he come close to me. It was about that time that my phone rang. It was my brother, Naruto. He asked me if I wanted to come over and watch movies with him and Gaara. When we were teenagers, we started up a kind of ritual. We called it GSN night. It's when Gaara, me and Naruto got together just to hang out and play games and stuff. I was upset with Sasuke and I wanted to talk to Gaara. I told Naruto I'd come over after I cooked and dealt with Sasuke. It was then that Sasuke started yelling at me while I was on the phone. He always yells at me when I spend time with my brother or Gaara. He hates both of them. When I hung up, I scolded him for saying the things he did and reminded him they weren't in the least bit true…except for his accusation that I was taking his 'proclamation' seriously…which I wasn't." Kurenai held up her hand and Sakura stopped.

"You said you weren't taking his 'proclamation' seriously. Why?" Sakura puffed her face up and looked away.

"You can make fun of me if you want, but my mother raised me that women don't have sex before marriage. I've stuck with that for almost twenty two years. THAT'S why I wasn't taking him seriously. I valued my chastity. I wasn't about to throw it away because he'd decided that's what I should do." she glared, but at no one in particular. Her glare died and she sighed again. She started rubbing her stomach again.

"When I told him that I wasn't having sex before marriage, he pressed against my back, thinking that I would change my mind. Most girls would melt and throw themselves at him, but I was used to this. He'd tried to get me to sleep with him when we were sixteen. I'd told him I wasn't ready to take our relationship that far and he hadn't tried it again until that day. I pulled away from him and finished cooking my stir fry. I pulled out the bento boxes I kept at my house for when we had our get GSN nights. As soon as he saw Gaara's, he flipped out on me. He accused me of going to see _him_ again. When I sighed and said that his name was Gaara and that yes, I was going to hang out with me FRIENDS, he accused me of cheating on him with Gaara. He said he could see if…that Gaara was in love with me and that I was running to Gaara behind his back." The pain of it was still fresh and her voice cracked.

"At first I was shocked. I asked him to leave, but he just stared at me with those accusing eyes. I processed what he said by laying it all out in the air between the two of us. By the time I was done, I was furious. I brought up his cheating on me with Karin, the fact that he looked at other women when we were out together, and the fact that he'd cheated on me several times since Karin. I was so angry and fed up that I finally just told him that it was over. I told him to leave and not come back. He told me that it didn't work that way…that I couldn't just break up with him. When I told him it DID work like that and that he was wrong, he attacked me." tears were sliding down her face and she wiped at them delicately. Kurenai nodded and handed her a tissue. She wiped her eyes delicately and sniffled.

"Haruno-san…what did he do to you after he attacked you initially?" Sakura's head bowed, her hair covering her face.

"He…he started hitting me…around my head and shoulders. I tried to push him off…I tried to fight back. I covered my head with my arms while he continued to hit me…calling me vile names. Somehow I managed to get my foot between him and me and I pushed with all the strength I could muster at that time. I managed to send him across the room, but I was dizzy and it was hard for me to get up. I ran for the kitchen, which was where my phone was. Before I got there, he managed to slam me into the wall, face first. I felt my hip twist at a weird angle, but it didn't hurt. I could feel him pressed against me…his breath against my neck. It was terrifying. He said he'd take me back…forgive me…if I got on my knees and begged him. He said he'd even let me…" she squeezed her eyes shut in disgust.

"I managed to head butt him and get away. I almost had my phone, but when I reached over the bar, he slammed into me and grabbed it. He threw it into the living room. He threatened me, but I was desperate to get away. When he used my hair to yank me around to face him, I managed to get off one good, solid punch. It winded him, made him stumble back. I ran with everything in me to get to my phone, but my hip wasn't working right and my legs hurt so bad…" she dabbed at the tears once more and continued.

"I managed to get past my couch before he tackled me into my heavy wooden coffee table. It was crushed by our combined weight." she said quietly. She bowed her head even lower, her crystal tears falling onto her belly. She gasped when the baby moved. She rubbed it, a soft smile on her face. "I was too tired and sore to fight back much more. I made threats, cried, screamed…nothing I did stopped him from ripping my clothes off. He ran his hands over me…I felt so violated…" she wrapped her fragile arms around herself and winced when her arms ached. She gently laid them on her stomach.

"I can't even hug myself…" she said in a small voice. "I can't hug my dad…my brother…my friends…I can't protect myself…" she shook her head and wiped at her tears with the tissue. "I felt something on my throat and thought for sure he was going to kill me. I felt him push into me before I passed out. It hurt…so bad…" She sniffled a few times and several people saw Jiraiya stand, as if to go to her. Gaara was on his feet, watching her intently. Only Sarutobi's stern gaze kept him away. She cleared her throat and wiped delicately at her nose.

"When I woke up, there was…stuff…all over me. I could see the blood mixed with the semen and I became violently ill. I managed to drag myself to the bathroom, where I scrubbed my skin raw. I waited until I had enough energy and I dressed, covered up the bruising, and left. I burned my clothes, since they were already in tatters. I made my way to Naruto's house and the last thing I remember is passing out in Gaara's arms." Sakura cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, trying to stay calm. Kurenai nodded and sat down. Phelps stood and walked over to her.

He thought carefully before he spoke. "Haruno-san…are you aware of the rumors that are floating around your college campus?" Sakura looked up at him, a blank look on her face.

"Which one? The one where I'm lying about the attack, or maybe the one where I deserved being attacked. Maybe you're talking about the one that I threw myself off the top of my house because Sasuke broke up with me." Phelps gasped and looked at Gaara, who was clenching the wooden rail in front of him. Phelps cleared his throat and looked away from her.

"I mean the rumors regarding your pregnancy, Haruno-san." Sakura snorted and looked sideways, her eyes little green dots.

"Oh…you mean those. Yeah…I've heard several. My favorite is that a secret organization bent on world destruction implanted an alien offspring in my stomach and are going to collect it once it's eaten my heart out." The jury choked on their laughs, as did most everyone else. However, the air cleared when Sakura said a few more rumors. "Or the rumor that I had sex with Sasuke and got pregnant on purpose to trap him into marrying me and that he beat me up for it. Or maybe the one where Naruto's the father. I especially despise the one that says my own father is the father of my child…" she made a gagging noise, but Phelps just shook his head.

"No, Haruno-san…I mean the rumor that the baby you carry is Uchiha Sasuke's." Pain flashed over her face and she nodded.

"Yeah…I heard that one as well. I almost fell when I heard it." she said quietly. She rubbed her stomach again, not looking at anyone.

"Did you start these rumors, Haruno-san?" Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes burned with anger.

"I don't gossip, Phelps-san. My business is my own. It's because people found out about my attack in the first place that they spread rumors that my baby is Sasuke's." There was a sudden stillness in the air. Phelps put on a confused face.

"What do you mean, Haruno-san?" Sakura sighed and held up one finger.

"It's human nature to fear and hate what they don't understand. No one from campus knew what really happened to me, so they started rumors to fill in the blanks and sate their curiosity. However, all the rumors were wrong. It's also human nature to be petty and jealous when we don't get something we want. The rumor that I'm carrying Sasuke's baby was spread by a girl named Matsuri. She was angry because Gaara-kun turned her down and thought to hurt me because he was with me when he turned her down. She blames me because he doesn't return her feelings for him." Phelps nodded and went in for the kill.

"Haruno-san…IS the baby you carry in fact Uchiha Sasuke's?" the tension was so thick in the air that it felt like weights around their shoulders. Sakura's face was solemn and Sasuke smirked, thinking he had won. Suddenly, she smiled and looked over at Gaara. There was love in her eyes.

"No…my baby is not Sasuke's." Sasuke shot to his feet, yelling. Even Itachi's hold on him couldn't keep him seated.

"What do you mean it's NOT my baby? The rumors-" he was cut off by Sakura's cold voice. She was standing there, her hand on her stomach, while her other arm haphazardly balanced her. This couldn't be the same ray of sunshine that had stepped forward…could it?

"The rumors were wrong…just like the rumors of what happened to me. Can't believe everything you hear." Sasuke glared at her.

"You didn't deny them! You're lying! The baby is mine! It has to be!" he yelled, not realizing he was digging himself deeper. Sakura just stared at him.

"I didn't confirm them either. Did you ever think about that?" Sasuke's mouth snapped shut as he glared at her. She continued to stare at him.

"Why should I deny what I know to be complete bullshit? The people who mattered knew the truth…Daddy, Naruto, my friends…they all knew it wasn't your baby. Even if I did deny it, people are going to say what they want anyway. There was no way I could have made them believe otherwise. Once people make up their minds to believe something, it's hard to change it." Sasuke fought against the hands holding him.

"You bitch…you lying bitch!" he yelled, straining to break free. Tears formed in Sakura's eyes and she took a step back, one hand coming to her mouth defensively. Before anyone could blink, Gaara was over the rail and by her side. He hugged her, her face buried in his shoulder. He gave Sasuke a deadly glare.

"How dare you say such things to her…" Gaara growled. He kissed the top of her head and whispered loving things to her. Sasuke growled and struggled more.

"What do you know, Sabaku? You're nothing but her run to!" Sasuke froze when Gaara laughed outright. He watched as Sakura turned to face him and Gaara put his hand on her belly, protectively. Sasuke's eyes widened at the implications.

"I'm much more than a run to, Uchiha. Sakura and I are married…she carries MY child." Everyone froze. It was while their hands were together on Sakura's stomach that the delicate gold bands drew people's attention. Kurenai looked at the two with wide, shocked eyes. Phelps feigned shock, but smiled inwardly. Sarutobi was massaging the bridge of his nose, and Jiraiya was hiding behind the railing, hoping not to draw attention to himself.

Sasuke struggled again, trying to get to them. "How long!?" he hissed, glaring at the pregnant young woman. Gaara answered for her.

"Almost seven months. She's a little over five months pregnant." Sakura blushed and looked up at Gaara over her shoulder. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. Sasuke growled and struggled more. He was removed from the courtroom at Sarutobi's insistence. Sarutobi thanked Sakura for her testimony and the jury was sent to convene and come up with a verdict.

Forty five minutes after they left, the jury came back. When asked if they had reached a verdict, the spokesman had nodded. "Yes, your honor. We have." Sarutobi nodded and looked at their ballot. He nodded and handed it back.

"And how do you find the defendant?" he asked in a tired voice. Sakura was holding her breath, Gaara was holding on to her tightly, and Jiraiya was gripping the rails. Sasuke was literally chained to his seat and Phelps was eying the jury nervously. Itachi was glaring at the spokesman.

"In the charge of Assault in the First Degree, we find the defendant, Uchiha Sasuke, guilty. In the charge of Rape in the First Degree, we find the defendant, guilty." Sakura let out a sob and buried her face in Gaara's shoulder. Gaara kissed her as Sarutobi appointed a date for Sasuke's sentencing and the youngest Uchiha was escorted out…forcibly. Jiraiya shook Kurenai's hand and congratulated her on her first major case. Sarutobi stepped down from his chair in time to see Itachi grab Phelps' arm and drag him aside. Sarutobi listened shamelessly.

"You can kiss your precious firm goodbye, Phelps. Gillian's legacy ends here!" the man said callously. Sarutobi walked over to them, tapping his pipe against his snuff bag. Itachi stiffened and watched the old man.

"Phelps…you were very impressive today…even after your attempt at establishing a sense of pity for Sasuke was ruined by his outbursts." Phelps thanked him quietly, but did not looked up. Sarutobi looked at Itachi with a frown. "I couldn't help but overhear your comment to Phelps, Itachi. You wouldn't be threatening someone in my courtroom, would you?" Itachi remained silent while Sarutobi regarded him. The old judge smiled and looked at Phelps. "I look forward to seeing you in my courtroom more often, Phelps-san." Sarutobi heard the grunt from Itachi and the 'Not likely' that accompanied it.

Sarutobi sighed and looked at Itachi over his shoulder. "Just because I'm old, Itachi, it doesn't make me deaf. I know about your threat to take Phelps-san's firm from him should he lose this case. However, being as his firm is no longer indebted to you, or anyone else for that matter, I do not see how you can hold his firm over his head." Phelps looked at him with wide, shocked eyes. Itachi looked like he'd swallowed tonic water.

Sarutobi turned back around, his pipe in his mouth. "I expect to see you in my office tomorrow morning, Phelps-san. Jiraiya and I would like to view your client base. Perhaps we could get you a few more?" Phelps nodded at him and smiled. He turned to Itachi, who still looked shell-shocked. Phelps shook his head and headed over to where Gaara and Sakura were standing, wrapped in each other's arms.

Phelps bowed to them and offered his hand to Kurenai. She took it and smiled at him. He turned back to Gaara with a grin. "So…have you thought about my offer? Will you come and work for me?" Gaara looked down at Sakura, who snuggled up to him, a smile on her face.

Gaara smiled and looked back up at him. He reached out and shook the platinum blond's hand. "Absolutely." Gaara said as he held Sakura against him. They all laughed and smiled. It was a good day for them all…especially Gaara and Sakura.


	14. Epilogue

**A/N: Hope the story makes a little more sense now...lol**

**

* * *

  
**

Epilogue

Almost four months after the trial, Sakura gave birth to not one, but two beautiful baby boys. They had their father's thick, red hair and their mother's beautiful emerald eyes. They named them Mikomi and Kietsu…their hope and joy.

After the trial was over, they had gone back to their small, suburban home. Jiraiya had called them with news about Sasuke's sentence. He had been given two consecutive life sentences with a chance of parole after a minimum of twenty five years had been served. He had also been fined for the destruction of Sakura's personal property and had to pay all of Sakura's medical bills that were a result of the attack and rape. Though she hadn't asked for it, she was also rewarded a substantial amount of money for the pain and suffering she had to endure.

They had opened two accounts, one for each of their children, and split the money equally for each child. Gaara had started his classes for criminal justice and he was doing amazing. Sakura was able to start her clinicals before the birth of her babies, but had to take time off for the birth and necessary time afterwards. She was back on her feet, so to speak, four weeks after the birth of her children. She took them everywhere she went, even going as far as bringing them to classes with her. Most of her classes nowadays were online, though.

Sakura brought the boys to see their father on campus often. The rumors had all been dispelled when Sakura had walked up with not one black haired child, but two red headed babies that certainly knew who their father was. Matsuri had tripped and fallen on her face when she saw the baby boys. Sakura had laughed and shook her head. Her arms had finally been deemed strong enough and the braces had been taken off. She'd had to undergo several weeks of physical therapy, but lifting her babies up and down on a regular basis helped.

Jiraiya visited them every weekend, even going as far as leaving a bag in his car so he could head straight to their house from work. Naruto had finally proposed to Hinata, who had blushingly accepted. Gaara had added on to their home, putting a pool in for his wife on the pretense of helping her through her future pregnancies and teaching the twins how to swim. Shizune finally confessed, after much prodding from Naruto, that she and Genma had married in secret several days after the trial.

After the birth of Sakura's boys, Ino had blushingly informed them that she was expecting. Kiba had a grin that could have rivaled Gaara's when he found out Sakura had been pregnant for the first time. Several months after the twins were born, things had finally gotten into a semblance of normalcy when their world was thrown upside down once more: Sakura was pregnant again.


End file.
